3 minute read
In the City
THE CITY
Last month, Mayor Mike Purzycki issued a mid-year update on the City’s neighborhood revitalization plan, which is backed largely with funds from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). (See: The City of Wilmington Issues Mid-Year Update on its ARPA Neighborhood Plans, Aug. 5, 2022) The Mayor said progress is underway on the East Side, where the Administration’s citywide neighborhood efforts are initially focused on the area from 4th–11th Sts. and Walnut–Church Sts. The Mayor said progress is also being made regarding the Administration’s goal of ensuring 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: • ARPA Home Page: an overview of ARPA funds and how they are spent • ARPA Spending Tracker: details about ARPA-funded projects and expenditures • Neighborhood Revitalization: specific neighborhood project details • Minority-owned Contractors and DBEs: a site for minority contractors, developers, and workers so they know what projects are available for bid or being prepared for bid
The Purzycki 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.
PREPARING MINORITY CONTRACTORS FOR NEIGHBORHOOD PROJECTS; BRIDGE FUNDING AVAILABLE
In partnership with EDiS Co., monthly workshops offer training about construction business basics to interested minority firms. The FREE workshops are held at the City’s Emergency Operations Center on S. Heald St. To participate, please call 311 to speak to the City’s Office of Economic Development. Meanwhile, the Wilmington Economic Development Corporation (WEDCO) has received $2M in City ARPA funding to provide zero interest bridge loans to minority contractors who don’t have available upfront capital. This gap funding will enable more minority-led businesses to participate in the City’s neighborhood plans.
MID-YEAR EASTSIDE NEIGHBORHOOD PROGRESS
Progress thus far has been accomplished largely through invaluable partnerships with the Wilm. Neighborhood Conservancy Landbank, Woodlawn Trustees, and Habitat for Humanity. For example, Bennett St. alone will have approximately 52 new construction units and 10 rehab properties in the coming months. Info. about this and other projects on the East Side can be found here: https:// stories.opengov.com/wilmingtonde/published/8TReFwLj5 The Mayor also summarized the appropriation of ARPA funding to various organizations that are assisting with neighborhood revitalization, workforce development, building safer communities by reducing gun violence, and other forms of community investment.
THAT LIST INCLUDES:
UNDER THE CATEGORY OF NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION Habitat for Humanity: A Brush with Kindness - $800,000 Wilmington Neighborhood Conservancy Land Bank - $3.1 million Wilmington Neighborhood Conservancy Land Bank, Hilltop Initiative - $1 million REACH Riverside Development Corporation - $1 million Eastside Housing Partners LLC - $100,000 Delaware Affordable Housing Group - $318,955 Cornerstone West CDC - $1,450,000 Habitat for Humanity: Housing Development - $1 million Wilmington Economic Development Corporation (WEDCO) - $2 million Todmorden Foundation - $1 million Latin American Community Center - $500,000 Woodlawn Trustees - $1 million Richard Dyton, Neighborhood Liaison - $21,000 Southbridge Community Development Corporation - $250,000 UNDER THE CATEGORY OF COMMUNITY INVESTMENT United Way of DE - $150,000 The Grand - $100,000 Faithful Friends Animal Society - $95,000 Culture Restoration Project, Inc. - $150,000 Reed’s Refuge - $300,000 Christina Cultural Arts Center - $500,000 NERDit Now - $200,000
UNDER THE CATEGORY OF WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT New Castle County Vocational-Technical School District - $767,505 The Delaware Art Museum - $150,000
UNDER THE CATEGORY OF BUILDING SAFER COMMUNITIES Community Violence Prevention Initiative - $500,000
Bennett St. rendering
In June, Mayor Purzycki helped launch a new HUD initiative aimed at boosting the nation’s affordable housing supply entitled “Our Way Home on Bennett St.”
