Researcher(s)
- Abby Haney, Landscape Architecture, University of Delaware
Faculty Mentor(s)
- Jennifer Reitz, Biden School for Public Policy & Administration, University of Delaware
- Eric Bardenhagen, Plant & Soil Sciences, University of Delaware
Abstract
As northeast Wilmington residents hope to spread the Downtown Development District bounds, their respective community organization, “Collaborate Northeast,” (CNE) aims to feign developer interest in abandoned or otherwise unused properties.
CNE hopes to facilitate a ripple effect of sustainable, creative, and community-driven place-based redevelopment beginning with 2301 N. Market Street. Using previous visions for the property, a study done by UD graduate students, “Economic Analysis of North Market Street,” and CNE’s mission, I was able to create renderings of the property with various uses, and these were used to provide foundational information of the property and inspire community input for the future of it. Previous leadership in the redevelopment effort had made strides to transform it into a food truck park, and this idea has continued to see popularity but there are many other ideas for the site that residents found interesting. Specific ideas include a farmer’s market, a grocery store, health offices, a thrift store, and more. Less specific desires for the site include that it should not be a liquor store or barber shop, and that the food distribution that currently occurs on the property can continue and could potentially benefit any redevelopment.
The spread of the DDD’s bounds in Wilmington and future developer interest would need to occur symbiotically with the strengthening of CNE so residents benefit from the potential redevelopment of 2301 North Market Street and other properties in the neighborhood.