New businesses may be sprouting up along Routes 1 and 13 south of the C&D Canal

Ben Mace, Delaware News Journal
·2 min read

An undeveloped property south of the St. Georges Bridge could be the home of a new convenience store with a gas station and at least two other businesses.

The New Castle County Land Use Department is reviewing a rezoning request for the commercial development on about 10 acres between Route 13 north and Route 1.

This is the northern end of a proposed commercial development on northbound Route 13 at the Hyetts Corner Road stoplight about three miles south of St. Georges.
This is the northern end of a proposed commercial development on northbound Route 13 at the Hyetts Corner Road stoplight about three miles south of St. Georges.

What’s the location?

The address, 2256 DuPont Parkway, has a Middletown ZIP code, but the property is north of Odessa and north of Pole Bridge Road/Boyds Corner Road at the stoplight at Hyetts Corner Road. It’s about 3 miles south of the St. Georges Bridge.

For drivers on Route 13 north, the property is just before reaching the left exit lane to turn from Route 13 onto Route 1 at the Biddles Corner toll plaza and the Roth Bridge.

What’s proposed?

The businesses would include:

  • 5,584-square-foot convenience store with a gas station.

  • 9,372 square feet for a retail store or stores.

  • 4,979-square-foot bank.

County planner Brad Shockley said no names of any businesses are listed in the proposal.

The plan is to break off about 8.2 acres from a 235-acre farm and combine the 8.2 acres with a contiguous parcel of about 2 acres for a total of about 10.2 acres for the commercial development.

The property owner is Kenneth Lester, and the developer is Hyetts Corner Associates LLC of Wilmington.

The applicants are asking for the 10.2 acres to be rezoned from suburban to commercial neighborhood.

This is the southern end of a proposed commercial development on northbound Route 13 at right near the Hyetts Corner Road stoplight. It's about three miles south of St. Georges, as drivers approach the left exit lane to turn from northbound Route 13 onto Route 1 at the Biddles Corner toll plaza.
This is the southern end of a proposed commercial development on northbound Route 13 at right near the Hyetts Corner Road stoplight. It's about three miles south of St. Georges, as drivers approach the left exit lane to turn from northbound Route 13 onto Route 1 at the Biddles Corner toll plaza.

What’s the status?

Shockley said the rezoning request is in the “exploratory stage” to determine if it meets the county’s development code and the requirements of state agencies such as the Department of Transportation and the fire marshal’s office.

More St. Georges-area development news:Subdivision with 108 homes planned along C&D Canal

If the plan meets the requirements, a public hearing on the rezoning will be scheduled with the county planning board. After the hearing, the county will accept more public comments for 30 days.

Then the county land use department will consider the comments and issue a recommendation to the planning board for consideration at a board meeting. Finally, the County Council and county executive would have to approve the rezoning.

If the rezoning is granted, the proposal has to go through the construction plan approval process.

Reporter Ben Mace covers real estate, development and housing news. Reach him at rmace@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Commercial development proposed between Odessa and St. Georges