WILMINGTON – The Riverfront marked its 25th anniversary of redevelopment this past year, celebrating a wellspring of private and public investment that turned a forgotten chunk of industrial land into a burgeoning mixed-use community that has become a draw for young professionals and families alike.
While many were looking back though, Megan McGlinchey, executive director of the Riverfront Development Corp., which oversees the redevelopment efforts, was looking forward.
Last summer, the RDC laid out a $100 million vision to expand its efforts across the Christina River in a new project called Riverfront East. The mixed-use plan imagines 1.9 million square feet of office space, over 4,000 residential units, 350,000 square feet of retail space, almost 9,000 structured parking spaces and 650 on-street parking spaces over the more than 80 targeted acres around the South Market Street corridor.
Work is already beginning on the first phase of the project, which includes relocating the Salvation Army Rehabilitation Center to a new home just down the road next to the Chase Fieldhouse. Infrastructure will be laid, and roads built for sites to be pitched to established developers to build on.
Considering how important the original Riverfront project was to landing employers like Barclays, AAA, and Navient, as well as improving Wilmington’s reputation as a destination city, the future expansion could be a boon for Wilmington if McGlinchey’s RDC can execute it.
