WILMINGTON — The Buccini Pollin Group (BPG) broke ground on a new 164-unit apartment complex along the Wilmington Riverfront with sights set on bringing their classic high-class amenities to the complex.
The seven-story Justison Landing will be built at 308 Justison St., the former site of Constitutional Yards beer garden. Buccini Pollin Group Vice President for Development Mike Hare says it’s been a project years in the making.
The developer was awarded a contract by Wilmington in 2006 to redevelop a riverfront property that was the former headquarters for the Delaware Transit Corporation and a yard for city Public Works. Buccini Pollin Group started building apartments like the first phase of Residences at Justison Landing just down the street right when the Great Recession hit in 2008.
Years later, the Buccini Pollin Group redeveloped the property in downtown Wilmington and returned back to the Riverfront with Residences at Christina Landing on the other side of the Christiana River. The company had a land swap deal with the Riverfront Development Corporation to open that space for an ice rink in the meantime.
“There’s obviously a long history here, and there’s no doubt about it we’ve been active in the last 20 years,” Hare told the Delaware Business Times. “I think we’ve always seen strong performance in the riverfront apartments. There’s maybe a different lifestyle than downtown in terms of the restaurants and the activity.”
“I don’t know if the [renter] demographic is that much different. It’s just people want what they desire,” Hare added.
When Justison Landing is complete, it will include many of the features that the Buccini Pollin Group touts in their numerous apartment complexes in the city to appeal to many renters in Wilmington. Overlooking the bend in the Christiana River, some apartments will have views of the riverwalk; a rooftop lounge will also be open to residents. The complex will have a fitness center, a pool and a game room and the Riverfront Development Corp. is planning to open a space outside.
The building will tout 33 two-bedroom units, 117 one-bedroom and 14 studios. The size of each apartment varies between 600 square feet to 1,100 square feet. The first apartments should be complete in 2026.
The Buccini Pollin Group is also now in the third phase of redevelopment in the Nemours Building which just recently opened under the name of Market West along with four other buildings on Market Street. The Press, another apartment complex built on a former Wilmington Parking Authority parking lot on the corner of Eighth and Orange Streets, is also
nearing the end game of construction, and the company just broke ground on an
apartment complex at the University of Delaware STAR Campus.
Pointing to the high interest rates on commercial loans as a continuing struggle, Hare said that Buccini Pollin Group is still optimistic in the residential demand in Wilmington.
“Interest is still strong and we’re continuing to build our backlog,” he said.
