On Monday, The Wilmington Housing Partnership, Wilmington Neighborhood Conservancy Land Bank and the City of Wilmington marked the start of a project that is part of the effort to revitalize the east side of the city.
Several nuisance and abandoned properties will be demolished in the area of 8th and Bennett Streets to make way for the construction of new owner-occupied townhomes as part of a larger neighborhood revitalization.
The event also included representatives from the Wilmington Housing Partnership (WHP), City of Wilmington and the Wilmington Neighborhood Conservancy Land Bank.
The demolition was the fourth along Bennett Street and marked a continuation of a three-phase plan projected to take place over the next seven years to stabilize and strengthen Wilmington’s east side communities.
Fourteen newly constructed three-bedroom, 2.5-bath townhomes will replace the demolished buildings according to WHP Executive Director Steve Martin, who added that construction is scheduled to begin next winter with a completion date of early 2020. The new units, some of which will include handicapped accessible features, will be occupied by homeowners with an anticipated sale price of $155,000. Three units will be geared to families earning 60 percent of median income.
“The demolition of vacant properties reflects how public and private partnerships can positively impact our local community,” said Robert Buccini of the Buccini/Pollin Group, chairperson of the WHP. “Hopefully, this project serves as a driving force to spark revitalization on the east side.”
“We stand proudly with the many partners in this ongoing effort to revitalize and improve our communities on the east side of Wilmington,” said Mayor Mike Purzycki. “By investing in new housing developments, we are improving the quality and stability of our neighborhoods. These efforts are going to continue throughout the City so every neighborhood shares equally in Wilmington’s successes.”
Hanifa Shabazz, City Council President, said, “This is indeed a concrete step forward, and I join my fellow Wilmingtonians in expressing excitement to see what will come of these efforts, as well as how we can build and cultivate enhanced housing stock while affording more of our residents the opportunity of homeownership.”
The project partners who are financially supporting the multiple-year effort to stabilize and strengthen east side neighborhoods include the City of Wilmington, JP Morgan Chase, Bank of America, Capital One, Comenity Bank, Delaware State Housing Authority, M& T Bank, PNC Foundation, Rockford Woodlawn Fund, TD Bank, and WSFS Bank.
