Page 5 - Wilmington - It's Time

As part of its initiative to beautify
the city and provide even more opportunities for residents and visitors to enjoy the outdoors, city officials recently announced a $6- to $8-million renovation of Rodney Square, Wilmington’s main public square and the heart of the downtown area since
it was built in 1921. Phase One of the refurbishing effort, a public-private partnership, has begun and is expected to be completed by the end of this
year or beginning of next year.
The square and its centerpiece statue of native Delawarean Caesar
The new 76ers Fieldhouse hosts pro hoops as well as local youth sports. Photo by Moonloop Photography
Rodney—a signer of the Declaration of Independence and president of the state during most of the American Revolution—are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Among the upgrades for the square are lighted, child-friendly fountains; planters; benches and tables; trees and
shrubs and green areas.
During the renovation of Rodney
Square, the Downtown Farmers Market, usually held there on Wednesdays from May to October, has been relocated to Market Street between 10th and 12th streets. The market features more than
40 vendors of products ranging from local produce, flowers and baked goods to handmade items such as art and jewelry.
Local and visiting children will find more and better places to play as the result of an initiative to improve the city’s recreational facilities. Among
the improvements are a completely renovated Hicks Anderson Community Center; a redeveloped Eden Park featuring a new turf field, a practice field, new swimming pools and refurbished basketball courts and
a $20 million makeover for Baynard Stadium, which will also get the
new name Abessinio Stadium.
The city has also renovated three neighborhood parks. And the new 160,000-square-foot 76ers Fieldhouse is available for Wilmington youngsters to play tournament basketball and indoor soccer games in a big-league environment.
WILMINGTON MEANS BUSINESS
The downtown area continues
to attract a growing number of new residents and visitors with a wide array of recently opened restaurants and
arts and entertainment venues and an extensive roster of public programs, many of which are free. A main downtown attraction is the Riverfront with its scenic and lively Riverwalk.
To better accommodate the influx of visitors, three new hotels will be opening.
Wilmington’s major employers— including Chemours, Chase and Capital One, to name a few— have committed significant investments to the city,
says the mayor, and small fintech (technology used to support or enable banking and other financial services) companies and startups are flourishing. Another major commercial endeavor that will be based in downtown Wilmington is an $8 million world-class sound stage on the 7th Street Peninsula being built by New Castle-based Light Action Productions, one of the nation’s leading full-service providers of production services and cutting-edge equipment for stage, television,
film and special events.
The 150,000 square-foot facility
will occupy 10 acres of land along
the peninsula. It will include a 25,000-square-foot, 95-foot-tall sound stage for crews and companies preparing to go on the road or for film or television crews; a 90,000 square-foot warehouse; 30,000 square feet
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JUNE 2019 | ww.todaymediainc.com | W5