Waterfront community being planned in New Castle

Brandon Holveck, Delaware News Journal
·2 min read
A rendering of the Flats at Riveredge project in New Castle along the Delaware River. The Delaware Memorial Bridge would be in view of the housing development, which would consist of apartments, single-family homes, twin homes and town homes.
A rendering of the Flats at Riveredge project in New Castle along the Delaware River. The Delaware Memorial Bridge would be in view of the housing development, which would consist of apartments, single-family homes, twin homes and town homes.

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– Brandon Holveck, bholveck@delawareonline.com

A rendering of the apartment buildings in the proposed Flats at Riveredge development in New Castle. In the preliminary plans, retail is located on the ground floor to the left and residential access is located on the ground floor to the right.
A rendering of the apartment buildings in the proposed Flats at Riveredge development in New Castle. In the preliminary plans, retail is located on the ground floor to the left and residential access is located on the ground floor to the right.

🏡 New Castle waterfront community in preliminary planning stages

A developer wants to build a mixed-use waterfront community along the Delaware River in New Castle.

Development group Greggo & Ferrara presented preliminary plans to the state's land-use review board Wednesday. The development is being proposed next to several office and warehouse buildings, including those for TA Instruments, HBCS and Standard Distributing.

It's also near Croda's Atlas Point facility on Cherry Lane. The facility in 2018 dispensed nearly 3,000 pounds of a highly flammable and explosive chemical called ethylene oxide that has been linked to various types of cancers.

The incident shut down the Delaware Memorial Bridge and has left lingering concerns in nearby residents who have been meeting in recent years with the Environmental Protection Agency and Croda as new risks associated with the chemical have been discovered.

A rendering of the proposed Flats at Riveredge project in New Castle from the vantage point of the clubhouse near the Delaware River.
A rendering of the proposed Flats at Riveredge project in New Castle from the vantage point of the clubhouse near the Delaware River.

The preliminary plans include 451 units, a mix of single-family homes, townhomes and multi-family apartment buildings. Two of the buildings would have some retail on the ground floor. The development would also include a clubhouse and a restaurant near the water.

The plan's designer, Seth Shapiro, said there's the potential for public trails and parks to be woven into the plan. It's being called The Flats at Riveredge.

A graphic showing the residential units in the proposed Flats at Riveredge project in New Castle along the Delaware River near the Delaware Memorial Bridge. Single-family homes are shown to the right of the overhead shot. Twin homes and townhomes are on the left side and the multi-family buildings with retail are in the middle.
A graphic showing the residential units in the proposed Flats at Riveredge project in New Castle along the Delaware River near the Delaware Memorial Bridge. Single-family homes are shown to the right of the overhead shot. Twin homes and townhomes are on the left side and the multi-family buildings with retail are in the middle.

"It's the water in a lot of ways that draws people," said land-use attorney Shawn Tucker. "It always creates a destination."

There are only a few places Delawareans can live along the Delaware River in northern Delaware. About a dozen miles north another project, First State Crossing, is being developed with a similar appeal. It could bring around 1,000 homes to Claymont at the site of the Evraz steel mill.

As presently constructed, The Flats at Riveredge would require the city of New Castle to pass an amendment to its comprehensive plan and a rezoning. The property is currently zoned for industrial use.

"Our client really saw a rare opportunity – rather than doing a logistics center – to do something mixed-use and more exciting quite frankly and something that’s more appealing in the marketplace," Tucker said.

🏨 Construction to begin on Rehoboth Beach hotel

A four-story, 106-room hotel will be built off Coastal Highway in Rehoboth Beach.

The hotel will be Delaware's first Cambria, the "upscale" brand of Choice Hotels. The company is hosting a groundbreaking ceremony at 18851 John J Williams Hwy. Thursday morning.

The hotel will be about four miles from the Rehoboth Beach boardwalk. It is slated to open in spring 2024.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Waterfront community being planned in New Castle