Downtown revitalization efforts in Wilmington, Dover and Seaford, gained funding for new projects from Delaware’s Downtown Development Districts (DDD) program.
The Delaware State Housing Authority and Governor Jack Markell announced 11 projects have been selected to receive $4 million in DDD funding. Delaware’s new grants will leverage $45 million in private investment in commercial and residential development in all three cities.
New projects include the redevelopment of vacant properties to promote homeownership in downtown Wilmington; mixed-use reconstruction on Market Street; new home construction on New Street and Reed Street in downtown Dover; and additional development at The Residences at River Place in Seaford.
“Our Downtown Development Districts program continues to leverage significant private investment in Delaware’s downtowns,” said Gov. Jack Markell. “More Delawareans want to live and work in urban areas, so this kind of revitalization of our cities will drive future economic growth. We’re seeing great progress.”
In January 2015, Markell designated the downtown areas of Seaford, Dover, and Wilmington as Delaware’s first three Downtown Development Districts. In the first funding round, announced last April, a $5.6 million investment by the state leveraged $114 million in private investment in all three counties.
Project Details:
- Central Delaware Habitat for Humanity will build five single-family homes on North New Street in downtown Dover. The homes will be sold to low-income homebuyers, helping promote homeownership in Dover’s downtown district.
- 829 Market LLC plans to redevelop the property at 829 Market Street in Wilmington to create seven walk-up apartments above 5,000 square feet of ground-floor space, which will be occupied by a restaurant, 3 Doors Brewing Company.
- James R. and M. Lorraine Nelson plan to demolish an unstable, 127-year-old building at 117 Market Street and build a new six-story building. A bank and café will occupy the ground level, and the marketing and technology firm Trellist will occupy the top five floors.
MauTiste Investment Group will build three duplexes, or six townhomes, on Reed and S. Kirkwood streets in downtown Dover, a project that also will build on earlier efforts to increase homeownership in downtown Dover.
Interfaith Community Housing of Delaware plans to redevelop six existing houses, some vacant and blighted, to create a dozen new affordable homes to promote homeownership in Wilmington’s downtown district. The houses are located along West 6th Street, West 5th Street and North Washington Street.
The Residences at River Place LLC has reserved funding to assist in the construction of the third and fourth phases of the project in Seaford. New development will include two four-story apartment buildings with a clubhouse and covered parking spaces.
