How $15 million improvements will make Wilmington public spaces accessible to all

Wilmington officials say improvements to ensure public buildings and rights-of-way are accessible to people with disabilities were "underway long before" Delaware's largest city hired a contractor to assess public spaces for ADA compliance.

The city in 2018 contracted with Bureau Veritas, a Maryland-based audit and certification services firm, to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of all city properties to determine compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The review, completed in March 2020, unveiled over $15 million in improvements necessary to bring Wilmington's public buildings, parks and other structures into compliance.

"The city has been taking steps to address ADA compliance issues for a number of years. That’s why the buildings were rehabbed when we decided to remodel parts of City Hall and why we added as many ADA curbs and ramps as we did over the past six years," said John Rago, Wilmington Mayor Mike Purzycki's deputy chief of staff. "While the report will help us identify and address ADA issues, our efforts to comply with ADA standards were underway long before the study began."

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Rago did not say what improvements have been made that address the concerns in the report, but indicated that the Louis L. Redding City/County Building on French Street was rehabilitated to provide ADA accommodations and, over the last six years, Wilmington has replaced more than 800 intersections with ADA standard curbs and ramps.

Wilmington is now moving forward with an evaluation of sidewalk and alleyway accessibility. The analysis of both public rights-of-way and buildings and parks by Bureau Veritas costs $675,000, Rago said.

“Our mission is to create a city where businesses invest and thrive, and our neighborhoods are safe and beautiful,” Purzycki said in a news release. “I’ve often spoken of making Wilmington a more ‘just city,’ a concept whose centerpiece is the idea that justice and respect are the principles that guide our actions and decisions each and every day. We are carrying out this assessment not merely because it is legally required, but because it is the right thing to do.”

Why is this necessary?

The Americans with Disabilities Act was enacted in 1990 to ensure people with disabilities had guaranteed access to all programs and services provided by state and local governments.

This includes ensuring “areas of public accommodations” and “public facilities” are accessible to those with disabilities, an aspect that has landed other public entities in court over the years.

The neighboring city of Philadelphia in May settled a federal class action lawsuit alleging its sidewalks violated ADA requirements, requiring it to make long-term improvements to its pedestrian infrastructure by installing and upgrading curb ramps all while posting regular reports on the city’s progress.

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Where are the deficiencies?

The 2020 report identified more than 80 public spaces needing at least some type of work or improvement to bring Wilmington into ADA compliance — work that is estimated to cost a total of $15,365,512.

Those public spaces include parks, city office buildings, the Brandywine Zoo, playgrounds, fire stations and pump stations and pools. Issues range from inadequate handicap-accessible bathrooms and entryways to missing handicapped parking spots and handrails along designated pathways.

The Louis L. Redding City/County Building is among the top five public spaces noted in the report with accessibility issues, which is estimated to cost $1,049,890 to fix. Among the problems was the building’s lack of an ADA-compliant main entrance, which, at the time of the report, had only a revolving door with turnstiles, along with issues at other entrances and pathways to the building.

Other big-ticket improvements include:

• Brandywine Park: $2,539,408

• Christina Park: $910,538

• Tubman-Garrett Riverfront Park: $813,071

• Brown-Burton-Winchester Park: $703,876

What work has been done?

The report completed by Bureau Veritas gives a timeline for making improvements at each public space and prioritizes spaces based on use.

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The city/county office building, which has 207 identified ADA compliance issues, is the first space to be tackled. The transition plan places improvements at Brandywine Zoo – estimated to cost $538,347 – in the third phase, just after work is finished at the city/county office buildings. The fourth phase prioritizes improvements at the William Hicks Anderson Community Center.

Rago said the analysis will be used to help city officials plan and budget for ADA improvements, but noted work has been done to address compliance at the city/county building. It's unclear whether all work there has been completed, or if other public spaces identified in the report have also undergone renovations.

Bureau Veritas contractors will now begin assessing Wilmington’s public rights-of-way like sidewalks and alleyways for compliance. The evaluations have already started and will continue through late October, picking up again in 2024, city officials said.

Once the review is completed, contractors will provide a report on the accessibility of those public assets.

Got a tip? Contact Amanda Fries at afries@delawareonline.com, or by calling or texting 302-598-5507. Follow her on X at @mandy_fries.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Wilmington is focusing on ADA compliance. Assessing sidewalks is next