Community Bank opens as first tenant at Nylon Center

May 1, 2025 3

SEAFORD – The Nylon Capital Shopping Center has seen some excitement recently as its first tenant opened its doors.

Community Bank, led by a native Seafordian, opened this week in one of the existing buildings at the campus while some of the other structures on the property continue to be torn down and replaced.

Rob Herrera, Wilmington-based developer with 9th Street Development Company (9SDC), said the redevelopment of the famed Nylon Capital Shopping Center is going well with several other businesses planning to open over the next year, as well the Sussex expansion of The Mill.

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But before The Mill opens, BrightBloom will bring its Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) therapy to the area as the second tenant to occupy the campus that was once the shopping hub of western Sussex County. Vanderwende’s Ice Cream is also slated to open a shop in the center.

“Following BrightBloom, the next three large tenants to open will be The Mill [in] the end of 2025, TidalHealth will be next and Delaware Tech,” Herrera told the Delaware Business Times. “All of the buildings themselves will be completed by the end of 2025. However, tenant fit outs on the interior will carry over into 2026 for the larger tenants around the campus.”

Dubbed the “crown jewel of shopping on the East Coast” by former Governor John Carney last year during the redevelopment project’s groundbreaking ceremony, the project that would renovate or rebuild the entire 243,000-square-foot property was estimated to cost at least $60 million before it was all said and done.

Since then, Herrera says several bumps in the road have impacted the project, but he remains cautious and optimistic that those bumps like the yet-to-be determined tariffs of President Donald Trump’s Administration. He said it will not cause a significant impact on the overall construction budget for the project.

“Projects of this scale always come with bumps, changes, pivots and all sorts of complications. I’m incredibly proud of our team for the way they’ve navigated each step along the way. Early in this project, supply chain issues, especially around electrical gear, were a major concern, with lead times stretching out as far as several years in some cases,” he told DBT. “Fortunately, we were able to work closely with GGA Construction and the city of Seaford to expedite much of the long-lead equipment. In several instances, we even redesigned systems entirely to accommodate what was available. I’m proud to share that all of our critical gear is now on site, even for portions of the building that haven’t yet come out of the ground.”

As the campus, including Community Bank’s newest location, continues its rebirth, with several retail spaces still open for potential leases, the community has watched in anticipation, he added.

“From the very beginning, the Seaford community has been incredibly welcoming and supportive. Their enthusiasm and engagement have been a driving force behind this project. We’ve made it a point to seek feedback throughout the process and have even adjusted our plans to include specific community features, like pickleball courts,” he said.

“We regularly share updates and progress photos on a Facebook page that’s open to the entire community,” Herrera added. The response has been overwhelmingly positive, with many expressing excitement about the progress. It’s clear that the community is truly thrilled to see this campus coming back to life in such a meaningful way.”