Bird-in-Hand Corporation

Bird-in-Hand Corporation is a for-profit enterprise located in the village of Bird-in-Hand in Lancaster County. The Bird-in-Hand Corporation wanted to develop a large tract of land that would be the center-piece for drawing tourism to the Village. Through a collaborative effort with the Mennonite Information Center, a non-profit establishment that provides visitors an educational experience on the rich cultural heritage in Lancaster County, the Bird-in-Hand Corporation needed to secure funding for pre-development planning activities to create an Anabaptist Heritage Center.

Bird-in-Hand Corporation consulted with Delta Development Group, Inc., (Delta) to develop a competitive application for funding through the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development's (DCED) First Industries Tourism Planning Grant program. The Delta team engaged the principals of the project and developed the application materials in accordance with the Commonwealth's guidelines.

The Delta team was able to secure a $175,000 First Industries Tourism Planning Grant through their efforts. The project activities funded through the Planning Grant have moved the project forward into final engineering and securing funding for site preparation and construction. The Delta team prepared an Economic Impact Analysis as part of the planning activity that will assist the Bird-in-Hand Corporation in making a compelling argument for public and private support based on the local and regional jobs and taxes the project will create.