An article recently appeared in the latest issue of the New Castle County Business Ledger detailing the most recent wave of growth in Wilmington. Around $1 billion has been invested in projects that are currently under construction. The article discusses these investements and what they are doing for the city. Not mentioned in the article are proposed investments, which total around $600 million or more. These propsed projects include condo units at Bancroft Mills on the Brandywine River, a midrise along Pennsylvania Avenue, and a children's museum on the Riverfront.

Pictures of renderings were in the paper version of the article, but I could not get them online. I'll post pictures of the projects mentioned in a little bit.

OPTIMISM FUELS WILMINGTON'S GROWTH

Downtown Wilmington keeps growing, and optimism is high that the city is continuing to move in the right direction. Approximately $1 billion in major construction projects are currently underway. Several neighborhood streetscape enhancement projects, the return of a two-way traffic pattern to Market Street between Martin Luther King Boulevard and 14th/15th Streets, and an intriguing new recycling pilot program add to the activities designed to make downtown even more vibrant.

Buccini/Pollin Group’s Justison Landing, an extensive mixed-use project on the Christina Riverfront, is considered the largest development project in Wilmington’s history. Over the next three to five years, this $500 million project will produce nearly 700 new residential units, including townhouses, condominiums, loft units, and apartments. There will also be 75,000 square feet of commercial space, and 12 levels of on-site garage parking.

The Buccini/Pollin Group is also building the $90 million WSFS Bank Center at 500 Delaware Ave., planned for completion in 2007. Containing more than 350,000 square feet of space, the building will be the new downtown headquarters for WSFS, a branch of the bank, and a new U.S. Post Office.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Delaware (BCBSD), Delaware’s largest health insurer, will soon occupy a new headquarters located at 800 Delaware Ave. Delle Donne & Associates is developing the property, which will house 700 BCBSD employees. The new facility will consolidate the five office locations BCBSD currently occupies in New Castle County.

The 13-story Renaissance Centre, being developed by The Commonwealth Group, is planned for completion in 2007. Occupying the entire block from Fourth to Fifth Street and King to Market Street, the 225,000 square foot building will contain office space and a 650 space parking deck. The renovation of several historic buildings on the block will add to the available space.

The new Christina Crescent property, located on the Christina Riverfront near the 100 block of S. West St., contains 260,000 square feet of space, and will contain Barclays Bank. Developed by Pettinaro Construction, Inc., the site will also contain a parking deck, a public park, retail space, and a walkway from Water Street to S. Madison Street.

Ships Tavern Garage will add 455 parking spaces to the area around Fourth and King Streets. A vital part of the redevelopment of the Ships Tavern District, customers and merchants alike are looking forward to the additional parking in the vicinity of businesses that include the Perky Bean Coffee Café and Parcels, Inc.

Smaller, but no less important projects, include the recently renovated DoubleTree Hotel at 700 King Street. Current owner Prism Hotels made over $5 million in renovations to create the DoubleTree, formerly the Wyndham Wilmington. The Woodlawn Library, a vital part of west Wilmington for over 75 years, is moving to a new home at the site of the former Division of Motor Vehicles building at 9th Street and Bancroft Parkway. The 18,000 square foot facility has already received $5.7 million from the state, city, and county towards the final project cost of $7.0 million.

Trolley Square is in the midst of a $1.4 million transportation enhancement project. Much of the improvement work can already be seen on Delaware Avenue between Clayton Street and Dupont Street. Enhancements include brick crosswalks, pedestrian lighting, sidewalk replacement with brick accents, various landscape features, and new traffic signals. “It is our hope that these improvements will continue to stimulate commerce, making one of Wilmington’s most popular dining and shopping destinations even more attractive,” says Gerald L. Brady, Wilmington’s 8th District City Councilman.

RecycleBank, a Philadelphia-based company with an innovative approach to recycling, partnered with the City of Wilmington to offer free curbside recycling in six neighborhoods throughout the city. Approximately 8,000 households received a recycling bin, which is used for all recyclable materials. Each bin has an individual barcode, and residents are rewarded with RecycleBank discount coupons, based on the weight of the recycled materials that are collected. Coupons are redeemable at dozens of area businesses, including FedEx-Kinkos, Foodsource, Grotto Pizza, Happy Harry’s and Iron Hill Brewery.

Renderings and photos:

Justison Landing

http://img188.imageshack.us/img188/4637/justisonlanding2da0.jpg

http://img188.imageshack.us/img188/8610/justisonlandingsl7.jpg

http://img212.imageshack.us/img212/2746/justisonlanding3yj1.jpg

http://img212.imageshack.us/img212/3289/justisonlanding4cj0.jpg

http://img212.imageshack.us/img212/4016/justisonlanding5xw8.jpg

http://img212.imageshack.us/img212/2981/justisonlanding7om6.jpg

WSFS Bank Center

http://www.addresswilmington.com/GatewayPlaza.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v637/joe84323/500delaware5.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v637/joe84323/500delaware6.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v637/joe84323/500delaware4.jpg

http://img76.imageshack.us/img76/3979/dscf6023zzk7.jpg

http://img76.imageshack.us/img76/3996/dscf6024zeg7.jpg

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Delaware

http://img76.imageshack.us/img76/7720/dscf6022zoo9.jpg

Renaissance Centre

http://img212.imageshack.us/img212/8571/renaissancecentergz0.jpg

http://img150.imageshack.us/img150/9618/dscf5993zxi6.jpg

Christina Crescent

http://img188.imageshack.us/img188/6233/christinacrescentsf3.jpg

http://img150.imageshack.us/img150/8597/dscf5996zhy8.jpg

Ships Tavern Garage

http://www.ci.wilmington.de.us/mayorpress/images/shipstaverngarage.jpg

Wilmington has huge potential for a nice skyline and some dense growth. Though, it would be nice if they invested for more millions into putting some of those parking garages 5-6 stories underground, then parks or buildings on top of it. I understand that current or short term economics is usually propogated to dismiss ideas especially in cities the size of Wilmington, but if they had a little more foresight they would see that underground garages is a good deal.

Nice...I am loving that WSFS bank center. :okay:

Wow, all that development is impressive.

Wilmington has huge potential for a nice skyline and some dense growth. Though, it would be nice if they invested for more millions into putting some of those parking garages 5-6 stories underground, then parks or buildings on top of it. I understand that current or short term economics is usually propogated to dismiss ideas especially in cities the size of Wilmington, but if they had a little more foresight they would see that underground garages is a good deal.

Putting parking garages 5 stories underground really isn't feasible, as there are too many issues that would come up, like sewer lines, power lines, drainage, cost of blasting rock, etc. Nevertheless, Wilmington does use their parking garages in a more efficient manner: The Blue Cross Blue Shield building is being built on top of their current parking garage (as my construction photo shows); the new building will be connected to the cirrent offices next door. Also, some parking agarages have retail and commercial areas on the ground floor, like the garage on 11th Street that houses a couple restaurants on the ground floor. I think Wilmington does a pretty good job of using pand for parking agarages for second uses.

Nice cant wait for all these projects to be done throughout the smaller Cities in the Northeast

Looks Great!!!!

I just saw a picture of Wilmington's skyline, it's not bad at all! What's the population of Wilmington, xzmattzx? All this development sounds great and will no doubt add to the city!

I found that CityLifeWilmington article online about Wilmington's boom. This is basically the same as that other article, but it includes a few other smaller developments and goes into more detail. You can browse the CityLifeWilmington website to see a little bit more about the city (if you click on the Neighborhoods Map, though, I would argue that some neighborhoods are incorreectly labelled.)


Building Momentum
Eight Projects. More than $950 million invested. Will this construction boom redefine Wilmington?


You can see it everywhere. And yet, you can’t see anything. Pieces of sky pierced by looming cranes, morning and afternoon commutes interrupted by the buzzing of demolition crews, the open beams of unfinished buildings sliced by rays of sunlight— it’s nearly impossible to walk more than a few city blocks without coming across the fragmented evidence of a roaring construction boom.

For all the prep work, however, we’ve yet to see the real fruits of development labor. Wilmington’s physical landscape will surely change. Justison Landing, for instance, with its mix of retail and resident space spread over 11 acres along the riverfront (just under 400,000 square feet), will become one of downtown’s most magnetizing images. But what will it mean to fill these buildings and maximize their potential? Just how will the city benefit from its work-in-progress facelift?

Jeff Flynn, the city’s economic development manager, predicts, naturally, increased revenues via property and wage taxes. “There hasn’t been a build-up like this since the late ’80s,” Flynn says, when the city’s boosted economy and low tax rates spurred national corporations like Chase Manhattan Bank and Manufacturers Hanover to move in. “Then you had MBNA in the mid ’90s,” Flynn adds, which greatly contributed to sealing Wilmington’s reputation as one of the country’s most important financial capitals.

But while the city offered plenty of job opportunities, efforts to attract visitors— and, more importantly, residents—weren’t as successful. Which is why Flynn thinks this construction boom will birth a newfound communal vibrancy. In addition to office space, five of the eight projects currently underway include resident or retail space, or both. In other words, the benefits of mixed-use development can give downtown Wilmington what it’s been missing for decades: a notable “work, live, and play” environment.

Having these elements working together produces what economists call a local multiplier effect. Under a supply-and demand structure, it’s when one event triggers other economic changes within the community. In this case, the construction of development projects ushers in new employees and residents, who in turn spend their money at local businesses (and create the need for additional local businesses), who in turn funnel their money back into the city by purchasing local goods and services. On top of all this is the revenue generated from taxes.

If and when the multiplier effect starts rippling through the city, the answers to a lot of questions will become clear. For now, the waiting game continues. “The tangibles are what we’ll have when these projects are done in a couple of years,” Flynn says. “The buildings, the revenue—we can measure that. But the intangibles—things like community spirit and people wanting to come to the city—those things can take a lot longer and are impossible to measure right now. We won’t know until things start happening.”

When they do, you’ll see it everywhere.


Christina Crescent - 125 S. West St.

Projected completion/occupancy date: Landlord will turn over the building to Barclays in November. Tenant will occupy the building in March 2007.

Total square footage: 670,000

Percentage of occupied space: 98

Confirmed tenants: Barclays Bank (formerly Juniper)

Number of expected employees: 1,000

Total cost: $38 million

Developer: Pettinaro

Principle contractor: Pettinaro Construction Co.

Description: Christina Crescent includes a six-story, 250,000-square-foot office building that will house Barclays from the second to the sixth floors. It will also be home to a 420,000-square-foot, six-story parking
structure, a one-acre public park, and a viaduct walk from Water Street to South Madison Street.


Christina Landing - Riverfront

Projected completion date: Townhomes were completed last fall; The Residences (apartments) are schedule for completion in January 2006, and The River Tower (condominuims) is scheduled for spring 2007

Percentage of occupied space: Townhomes are fully occupied or up for re-sale; the apartments are 60 percent leased; the condominiums are more than 70 percent pre-sold.

Number of units: 183 condominiums, 178 apartments, 63 townhomes

Total cost: $250 million

Developer: The Buccini/Pollin Group Inc.

Principle contractor: BPGS Construction LLC for townhomes and The Residences; Gilbane for The River Tower

Description: Buccini/Pollin chose to make use of the 7.8 acres of brown fields along the Christina and Brandywine Rivers in an attempt to create an environment of economic vitality that cold benefit upstart businesses as well as existing ones. The towers feature concrete frames rather than traditional steel, and the townhomes will be roofed in seamed metal.


The Corporate Plaza - 800 Delaware Ave.

Projected completion/occupancy date: June 1, 2007

Total square footage: Approx. 290,000 (including existing square footage)

Number of expected employees: 700 BlueCross Blue Shield employees

Total cost: More than $30 million

Owner: Eugene A. Delle Donne & Son, LP

Developer: Delle Donne & Associates Inc.

Principal contractor: EDiS Co.

Description: The existing Corporate Plaza is being expanded to make room for BlueCross Blue Shield of Delaware, who will concentrate its entire workforce in one location (four of its five leases—all in New Castle County—will expire in 2007). The results mean the city will welcome about 700 new employees once the expansion is complete. The Corporate Plaza will add six levels of office space and a 600-car garage to its premises to accommodate the personnel increase.


Justison Landing - Riverfront

Projected completion date: First parcels (2 and 4) will be delivered next fall. Parcel 1 will follow, then Parcel 5. Parcel 3 (the office tower) is in the design stage. 5 parcels total on 11 acres to include retail, commercial and residential space.
Total square footage: Retail component consists of four single-story buildings totaling 98,000 sq. ft. Commercial component contains two six-story buildings totaling 300,000 sq. ft.

Confirmed tenants: None. In talks with a number of prospects that include a wine store, high-end grocery store, pharmacy, restaurants, and boutique eateries.

Number of units: Residential portion is still being modified but will contain approximately 80 apartment homes; 50 townhomes separated into two two- and three-story buildings; 260 condominiums split among four single-story buildings; and more than 180 loft units that will make up four high-ceiling single-story buildings.

Total cost: $500 million

Developer: The Buccini/Pollin Group Inc.

Principle contractor: BPGS Construction LLC

Description: Justison Landing is the largest development project in the city since WWII. It is also the most expensive of the eight projects featured here, with costs representing more than half of the $963 million currently invested. As many have noted, the enormity of Justison Landing will irrevocably alter the city’s landscape. Developers hope the project has a similar economic impact.


The Lippincott - 300-316 N. Market St.; 7-9 E. Third St.

Projected completion date: Summer/fall 2007

Total square footage: 54,098 (including basements)

Percentage of occupied space: None

Confirmed tenants: Currently in talks with several area restaurants and business owners

Number of units: 40

Total cost: $13.2 million

Developer: Preservation Initiatives Inc.

Description: Preservation Initiatives began acquiring properties in Wilmington in 2005 with an emphasis on Ships Tavern. The 300 block of North Market Street is a collection of late 19th century structures that underwent a series of changes in the 20th century. Preservation Initiatives’ revitalization of this block began last summer and interior demolition of 300-306 N. Market St. and 7 E. Third St is nearly complete. Phase 2 will complete the revitalization and will also create mixed-use space, with ground floor retail and residential units above.


Renaissance Centre - 405 King St.

Projected completion date: April 1, 2007

Total square footage: Approx. 140,000

Confirmed tenants: McCarter and English

Total cost: $40 million

Developer: The Commonwealth Group

Principle contractor: Integrated Construction Services (ICS)

Description: One block from the police station and three blocks from the train station, Renaissance Centre will bring to the city upwards of 1,000 new upscale living units and will be the first office building to be SafePlace-accredited. Safe-Place accreditation demonstrates a facility’s attention to three technical disciplines: security, fire protection, and live safety. On-site parking is available courtesy of 190 parking spaces.


Garage Second & Market sts.

Projected completion date: February 2007

Total square footage: 174,000

Percentage of occupied space: 15,000 sq. ft. of street level retail; approx. 455 parking spaces

Confirmed tenants: Al’s Sporting Goods will occupy the entire retail space

Total cost: $7.5 million

Developer: Ships Tavern Garage LLC

Principle contractor: EDiS Co.

Description: EDiS Co. contracted with Christina Gateway Corp. to construct a seven-story parking facility in the Ships Tavern District. The building is designed around Butler pre-engineered multi-story structural steel with metal decking, and the parking levels are reinforced slab on deck.


WSFS Bank Center - 500 Delaware Ave.

Projected completion date: Full delivery by February 2007; first tenants moving in November 2006

Total square footage: 371,000

Percentage of occupied space: More than 60 percent pre-leased

Confirmed tenants: WSFS corporate headquarters; Morris, James, Hitchens & Williams, LLP; United States Postal Service; PureBread Deli; Ashby and Geddes

Total cost: $85 million

Developer: The Buccini/Pollin Group Inc.

Principle contractor: BPGS Construction LLC

Description: The building at 500 Delaware Ave. was the first new multitenant office tower to be built in Wilmington in almost 20 years. It features a state-of-the-art glass curtain wall system and HVAC system and 12-foot floor-to-ceiling windows. There is on-site parking for more than 550 cars. On-site retail will include a WSFS Bank branch, a Wilmington branch of the U.S. Post Office, and a high-end café for tenants. The trophy class building received real estate tax incentives from both the City of Wilmington and New Castle County.

http://www.citylifewilmington.com/Default.aspx?DN=c3af58ed-a491-4596-b7ab-bd761fb09239

I just saw a picture of Wilmington's skyline, it's not bad at all! What's the population of Wilmington, xzmattzx? All this development sounds great and will no doubt add to the city!

Wilmington's city population is around 72,000. The metro population is around 635,000, and includes places like Newark, Middletown, Hockessin, New Castle, the Pike Creek and Brandywine Hundred areas, Elkton MD, Landenberg PA; you could even make strong cases for Smyrna, Kennett Square PA, and Pennsville NJ.

wilmington looks like it has good potential for an LRT with all that new development

Wow, particularly for a small city, downtown Wilmington never fails to impress! Looks like it has so far weathered any negative fallout from the BA takeover of MBNA.

have too bring this thread back it was interesting