By Elle Wood

HARRINGTON — One small city in the middle of the state is about to grow.

Harrington city manger Norman Barlow and assistant city manager Amanda Marlow attended Capitol Hill Day in Washington March 13. They returned to the city with a $3.4 million Community Funding Project grant to develop an industrial park.

The city filed for the request in August with the support of U.S. Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester, D-Del.. It was then approved on Capitol Hill Day, where they, along with other businesses and municipal areas, received funding they had requested.

The proposed location for the industrial park is behind the Pepsi Bottling Ventures off Messicks Road.

The park has been an idea that the city has had for a long time.

“I think it is something that has been worked on and tried to be developed,” said Mr. Barlow. “And years and years later, it will finally come off the shelf and get to something more.”

He said one of the main goals for the city is to develop in a way that is positive for all the residents and people who work in the area.

“The big thing is that we want to see commercial growth, bring jobs to the town and bring in different businesses,” said Mr. Barlow.

The city manager believes this project will be very good for the city, hoping the industrial park will allow for economic development.

“I think it will have a positive impact,” said Mr. Barlow. “I think it will create jobs. It will create growth in the economy for people living and working in Harrington and also the railroad runs right through there, which is good for supply and demand.”

Now that the city has received the grant, it can continue to the next steps of getting the industrial park closer to the finish line.

“We have the subdivision and working on the impact study now,” said Mr. Barlow. “And once as we get closer, we will bring development of the roads and infrastructure to get all that ready to move on.

“It will be really good for the community,” said Mr. Barlow.