The Wilmington Leaders Alliance (WLA) and the Wilmington Renaissance Corporation (WRC) announced the creation of the Wilmington Alliance.
Wilmington Renaissance, formerly Wilmington 2000, was formed in the 1990s in an effort to bring jobs to Wilmington as DuPont downsized its office presence.
It scored a big success when MBNA moved its headquarters to Wilmington. MBNA was later acquired by Bank of America, which has since moved most of its operations outside the city.
The organization spearheaded the redevelopment of the lower end of Market Street in downtown (LOMA) and has since focused on smaller improvement projects.
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Wilmington Renaissance also holds an annual Big Ideas breakfast that looks at urban planning, amenities, and other issues.
Wilmington Leaders Alliance was launched in 2015 by business and community leaders with a vision of making Wilmington “the most dynamic small city in America.”
The alliance came at a time when Wilmington was pulling out of a deep recession while also coping with a high homicide rate.
“The Wilmington Alliance places a significant emphasis on the important roles of the business community and nonprofits in the continued development and thriving future of Wilmington and works to establish these groups as catalysts for change and growth. The Wilmington Alliance is the first broad, private-sector-led organization dedicated to collaboratively working with other organizations to attract and maintain jobs, create opportunities for businesses and residents, and ultimately achieve sustainable growth for the city,” a release stated.
The Wilmington Alliance will add a new dimension to efforts focused on the betterment and prosperity of the City by establishing collaborative partnerships with local communities, elected officials, the Delaware Prosperity Partnership (DPP) and business organizations—such as the Delaware Business Roundtable and chambers of commerce, Greater Philadelphia and others—to cultivate economic development activities and lifestyle enhancements, a release stated
The expectation is that such collaborations will enable the Wilmington Alliance to more quickly identify and respond to potential businesses and investors interested in Wilmington, as well as revitalization and community projects designed to have both economic and civic impact,” the release added.
