This 86-acre Master Plan along the east bank of the Christina River is the next iteration of development, following the successful revitalization of the northeast bank in decades prior. Utilizing a framework inclusive of all future constituents and with the latest climate adaptation data, this Master Plan establishes strategies to create a dynamic mixed-use urban community that will attract residents, businesses, and visitors to participate in the continued growth of the City of Wilmington. The industrial legacy of the east bank created barriers to the river edge, requiring solutions that will remediate soil toxicity and reframe the river as an extension of the city with increased physical and visual access to the water.
Working with Robert A.M. Stern Architects, Land Collective established a framework for streetscapes and the connective tissue of the city, supporting contemporary urban life. A new street grid connects to the waterfront, sometimes using “green fingers” with stormwater infrastructure to link the waterfront to a proposed wetland park. Designed to engage citizens with the river, the Promenade and Boardwalk also provide an opportunity to positively inform habitats for native flora and fauna, replacing the current phragmites-choked river edge with landscapes that are biologically diverse. Key moments within the Promenade landscape tie this ecological focus into the interior of the site via tidal intrusions, anchoring the green corridors which transect the site. The development accounts for 1.5M of sea level rise, as well as re-mapped 100-year flood lines with a clean-fill cap atop the brownfield and gently sloped grades to meet the existing streetscape.
An extension of Wilmington’s existing street grid, the site infrastructure integrates city and regional multi-modal transportations with bus, bicycle, pedestrian, and water taxi systems connecting multiple points within the Master Plan. Notably, connections between opposing sides of the river create a larger open space network that is facilitated by an additional water taxi stop and a new pedestrian bridge. These connections also tie into larger bicycle networks that link to surrounding regions and the East Coast Greenway. This fabric is interspersed with open spaces, creating a common ground where people of all spectrums of society are welcome.
Project Recognition:
- 2022 ASLA PA-DE Design Awards, Analysis and Planning – Award of Merit
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