City of Wilmington Issues Update on its ARPA Neighborhood Plans

Post Date:07/24/2023 12:00 PM

Community investment funds are being distributed and affordable housing efforts are underway with involvement of minority contractors

Wilmington Mayor Mike Purzycki today issued an update on the City’s neighborhood revitalization plan, which is backed largely with federal funds from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). The Mayor said progress continues on the City’s East Side, where the Administration’s citywide neighborhood efforts are initially focused on the area from 4th to 11th streets and Walnut to Church streets. Mayor Purzycki said progress also continues on the Administration’s goal of ensuring that minority contractors, developers, and workers have access to the ARPA-funded projects and jobs being created through the rebuilding of City neighborhoods. 

The City maintains regularly updated ARPA pages on its website that enable the public to track ARPA projects and spending. These include: 

Bridge Funding Available to Minority Contractors
The Wilmington Economic Development Corporation received $2 million in City ARPA funding to provide zero interest bridge loans to minority contractors who do not have available upfront capital. This gap funding has enabled more minority-led businesses to participate in the City’s neighborhood plans. Funds were made available on a first-come, first-served basis to contractors who were awarded a bid an ARPA-funded project in the East Side focus area from 4th to 11th streets and Walnut to Church streets.  
 
Eastside Neighborhood Progress
Progress thus far has been accomplished largely through invaluable partnerships with the Wilmington Conservancy Neighborhood Landbank, Woodlawn Trustees, and Habitat for Humanity. As an example, Bennett Street alone will have approximately 40 new construction units and about 30 rehab properties in the coming months. Other projects include: 

  • 22 pending demolitions on Shearman Street, Bennett Street, East 10th Street, and North Pine Street
  • Nine property stabilizations have been completed (for example, new roof installed, hazardous materials removed, interior demolition performed): 838 Pine Street; 922 North Pine Street; 934 North Pine Street; 1006 Lombard Street; 603 East 10th Street; 507 Shearman Street; 529 East 9th Street; 918 North Spruce Street; 738 East 11th Street 
  • Five units are under development: 934 North Pine Street; 838 North Pine Street; 603 East 10th Street; 630 East 11th Street; 1006 North Lombard Street  
  • 27 pending property dispositions for rehabilitation on North Pine Street, Bennett Street, North Spruce Street; Clifford Brown Walk; East 11th Street, Shearman Street, and East 6th Street 
  • Central Baptist Community Development Corporation (CBCDC) has received $120,000 in ARPA funding for costs relating to the rehabilitation or new construction of nine units on the 400 and 500 blocks of East 8th Street as well as 10th and Lombard streets 
  • Partnership between the City and a local minority contractor to clean eastside alleyways in the area from East 7th to East 11th streets and from Lombard to Kirkwood streets, which was completed in September 2022. The alleyway cleaning program provided jobs to local young people who were unemployed or underemployed  
  • Pilot streetscape/curb appeal project supported through $300,000 in Community Development Block Grant funding to include street paving, sidewalk repair, street lighting, and the planting of trees in an area yet to be determined  
  • Habitat for Humanity’s Brush with Kindness program is seeded with $2 million in ARPA funds to assist homeowners with repairs to facades and roofs as well as plumbing and heating systems; 59 Brush with Kindness units have been completed to date 

Mayor Purzycki today also summarized the appropriation of ARPA funding to various organizations that are assisting with neighborhood revitalization. These include:  
 
Habitat for Humanity - $2 million    
Funds were used for the "A Brush with Kindness" program run by Habitat for Humanity, which offers critical home repairs to existing, low-income homeowners in the City of Wilmington.  The aim is to make homes warm, safe, and dry through work on plumbing systems, roofs, HVAC systems, electrical systems, doors, and windows.  The goal is to repair 125 homes. 
 
Wilmington Neighborhood Conservancy Land Bank - $3.86 million          
Funds were used for the strategic demolition and stabilization of low-income housing units within Qualified Census Tracks. The City's Department of Real Estate and Housing will closely track and monitor this work with the participation and assistance of construction manager Richard Thomas. The Real Estate and Housing Department will ensure that the overall strategy of improving housing stock in low-income neighborhoods in the City of Wilmington will be efficiently implemented.
 
Wilmington Neighborhood Conservancy Land Bank, Hilltop Initiative - $1 million
The recipient will use these funds to support the Lower Hilltop Affordable Housing Project, located on the City's West Side. The initiative will strategically acquire 40 units within a 10-block radius on adjacent streets. The units will be on the following blocks:  1100 block of West 2nd Street; 1100-1200 blocks of West 3rd Street; 100-200 blocks of North Harrison Street; 100-200 blocks of North Franklin Street; 1100-1200 blocks of Pleasant Street; 1100-1200 blocks of Conrad Street; and the 200 block of North Van Buren Street. Located adjacent to the highly visible 4th Street Corridor, the Lower Hilltop Affordable Housing Project provides a significant opportunity to address the need for affordable housing and transform a community.
 
REACH Riverside Development Corporation - $1 million
Funds will be used by REACH Riverside to support the community redevelopment of the Riverside neighborhood through the construction of 67 rental units on vacant land that was formerly public housing. The 67-unit phase will include 50 affordable and 17 workforce townhouse units in a mix of 1 to 4-bedroom units. All affordable units will receive operating subsidies enabling them to serve households at very low-income levels while creating a mix of incomes with the 17 workforce housing units.
 
Eastside Housing Partners LLC - $100,000
Eastside Housing Partners LLC is using these grant funds for the strategic rehabilitation of four properties in a US Department of Housing and Urban Development Qualified Census Tract. This tract is located in the City's historic East Side community. The project will involve the complete rehabilitation of three houses and the construction of a fourth that will be sold as affordable housing.
 
Delaware Affordable Housing Group, Façade Improvements - $179,520
The Delaware Affordable Housing Group (DAHG), in conjunction with its parent organization, the Wilmington Housing Authority (WHA), is the largest provider of affordable housing in the City of Wilmington. DAHG has used these funds to repair facades, replace windows, repair/replace roofs, and repair concrete for WHA-owned properties on the East Side.
 
Delaware Affordable Housing Group, Rehabilitation and New Construction - $1,344, 435
The City has also contracted with DAHG on the following rehabilitation projects:

  • $595,000 to construct 17 new affordable homes at McMullen Square, located near North Market Street and Eastlawn Avenue
  • $210,000 – to construct three new affordable homes on Bennett Street in the East Side neighborhood
  • $539,435 – to rehabilitate the former Elwyn Building on 11th Street in the East Side neighborhood, which will be used as a new headquarters for providing services and supports to Wilmington residents 

Cornerstone West CDC - $1,450,000
Cornerstone West CDC will use these funds in the following manner: $550,000 will be used for Commercial Corridor and Small Business Stabilization by revitalizing the physical appearance of corridors via streetscapes and storefront improvements, and by addressing vacant commercial properties via a combination of loans, incentives, and grants; $650,000 will be used for residential improvements to increase homeownership by repurposing residential vacancies, developing high quality affordable housing, and supporting current homeowners with critical repairs; and $250,000 will be used for commercial and mixed-use development to acquire vacant properties for redevelopment. 
 
Habitat for Humanity - $2 million
Habitat for Humanity will use the ARPA grant funds to construct twelve affordable homes on the 900 block of Bennett Street. The homes will be sold to qualified, first-time homebuyers at the appraised value, and Habitat will provide lending with 0% mortgages. The homes will be a mixture of 2-, 3-, and 4-bedrooms, with six of the units having off-street parking. In order to prepare for successful homeownership, the qualified first-time homebuyers will have to attend mandatory educational trainings.
 
Todmorden Foundation - $1 million
The Todmorden Foundation is using this ARPA grant to build ten new homes on Bennett Street. Newly constructed units will consist of two floors and include the construction of living space, bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchens, all cabinetry associated with the kitchen, as well as refrigerator, stove, and dishwasher.  Hook ups for washer and dryer units will be installed.  The Director of Real Estate and Housing for the City of Wilmington will confirm that the construction and amenities are consistent with expectations in affordable housing units. After completion of the project, the homes will serve as affordable rental homes for City residents.
 
Latin American Community Center - $500,000
The Latin American Community Center has used these ARPA grant funds to build a two-and one-half-story Infant and Toddler Center on the corner of 4th and Van Buren streets and a youth playground on the comer of 4th and Harrison streets. The Infant and Toddler Center Project broke ground in October 2021 and opened in Mayo of this year. Through this project the LACC has increased the number of children ages 6 weeks to 5 years old serve annually from 136 to 214. The Infant and Toddler Center has also created 30 new permanent jobs, having a positive influence on the economic development of the neighborhood. The LACC plans to break ground on the playground portion of the project later in 2023. The playground will serve children ages 5 to 12 years old and provide a safe outdoor environment that helps combat high obesity rates among Latino children.   
 
Woodlawn Trustees - $2 million      
Woodlawn Trustees used these grant funds to renovate twenty vacant homes in Wilmington’s East Side Neighborhood. Renovation work included, but was not limited to, lead abatement, roof repair and/or replacement, HVAC system repair and/or replacement, wall repair, interior and exterior paint, bathroom repair and/or replacement, kitchen repair and/or replacement, cabinet repair and/or replacement, flooring repair and/or replacement, and carpet repair and/or replacement.  The homes will serve as affordable rental units.
 
Southbridge Community Development Corporation - $250,000
The Southbridge CDC will use grant funds for the Sankofa housing development, a partnership between the Southbridge Community Development Corporation and Habitat for Humanity of New Castle County. The project involves the development of five new houses to be built on land located at New Castle Avenue and B Street in Southbridge. These will be new houses built for homeownership to assist current residents in Southbridge who may currently be renting housing or may be living with family and want to become a homeowner in the neighborhood.
 
New Castle County Vocational-Technical School District, “Wilmington's Future Builders Program”- $1.8 million
The City of Wilmington and New Castle County Vo-Tech School District are coordinating efforts to solve a recognized need in the community, specifically the restoration of buildings in the City in need of repair or improvements. This progressive effort will focus on restoring homes and other structures, employing young adults in or out of school, creating apprenticeship opportunities for students, and supporting and developing the construction industry pipeline.
 
Mayor Purzycki said the Administration will continue to provide timely updates on its ARPA funded programs and goals and urges the public to check in often at the ARPA web pages for the latest information.

COMMUNITY AND MEDIA INQUIRIES: 

Paul Ford Jr.
Director of Communications 
City of Wilmington, Office of the Mayor
Mobile: (302) 530-2171
Email: plford@WilmingtonDE.gov


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