REACH Riverside and their partners in Wilmington, DE are recipients of a 2023 HUD Choice Neighborhoods Implementation (CNI) Grant of $50M. The funding is part of a larger multi-year collaborative effort to transform NE Wilmington, a once overlooked and distressed neighborhood, into a thriving community that is a catalyst for prosperity for all the people who live there.
Purpose Built provided leadership to REACH Riverside, the quarterback organization for the project, the City of Wilmington, Wilmington Housing Authority, The WRK Group and other local partners in the grant application process. Together, they developed a comprehensive plan based on Purpose Built’s holistic model for neighborhood revitalization to support the community’s expansive transition, including new services and amenities.The plan includes a new mixed income and mixed-use community featuring retail space and a new town green, with much of the work already under way. To establish a support system for the target neighborhood, the plan identified adjacent facilities that provide robust community assets to reinforce the neighborhoods’ long-term success.
These facilities include a thriving education and recreation center, with plans for a new indoor fitness center, a new charter school, and the revitalization and expansion of the local library.
Many major cities across the U.S. apply for the prestigious HUD award. This marks the third time that Purpose Built has championed the process of securing the $50M Choice Neighborhoods Implementation grant for one of its Network Members.
James Brooks, AICP, Vice President of Housing and Community Development at Purpose Built Communities, who has significant national experience in the Choice Neighborhoods program, guided REACH Riverside through the process. “The $50 million CNI award for REACH Riverside is a tribute to many years of high-quality neighborhood revitalization work by our network member, and will help REACH Riverside complete its vision for the community. We look forward to helping other Network Members prepare for securing this strategic opportunity for their communities,” said Mr. Brooks.
