A community-centered neighborhood plan to ensure the historically African American environmental justice community is able to grow and thrive with the rapidly changing environment.
A tight-knit community with a history of activism, Southbridge residents formed the core of the Steering Committee and promoted events and workshops, provided honest feedback to the team, and went door to door to speak with neighbors about the neighborhood plan and administer in-person surveys.
The historically disinvested communities of South Wilmington will see a large injection of capital, nearly $100 million in public funds, for the development of Riverfront East, a mixed-use market-rate complex. The Plan advocated for a community benefits agreement in an effort to ensure that the new developments better support the needs of the community.
The Southbridge Neighborhood Action Plan (SNAP) included a memo on the use of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds allocated for the City of Wilmington, New Castle County, as well as the State of Delaware for programs designed to address needs within the neighborhood.
The Plan addresses chronic economic, environmental, climate, and health concerns facing the community.
It is centered on a framework for equitable development, advocating for the access of resources for Southbridge residents and entrepreneurs, and for a community development corporation to provide the community a measure of control over the future of their community.
The Southbridge Neighborhood Action Plan, through the input of community members, created the Southbridge Residents’ Bill of Rights, which guided the concrete recommendations on the following categories:
View the final plan here.
