PRESS RELEASE: Councilman Chris Johnson Shares Community Commitments for Proposed Bancroft Parkway Redevelopment

 

August 14, 2026

Councilman Chris Johnson Shares Community Commitments for Proposed Bancroft Parkway Redevelopment
Developer commits to reduced building size, traffic routing away from the Parkway, local and union hiring, a three-year West Side public safety investment, and continued neighborhood engagement

Wilmington, DE — Wilmington City Councilman Chris Johnson, representing the 7th District, today shared an important update with residents regarding commitments made by Tsionas Management Co., Inc. related to the proposed redevelopment of properties at 1010 North Bancroft Parkway, 2140 West 11th Street, and 1100 Grant Avenue.

The commitments are memorialized in a signed letter dated August 13, 2026 from Angela Tsionas, President of Tsionas Management Co., Inc., following months of community feedback, formal working group meetings, and a community town hall. The letter recognizes the importance of balancing neighborhood concerns with opportunities for continued investment and development in Wilmington.

Rendering photo of the proposed redevelopment of properties along Bancroft Parkway.

“As the Council Member representing this community, my priority throughout this process has been ensuring that residents are heard and that their concerns result in meaningful action,” said Councilman Johnson. “These commitments did not happen on their own. They are the direct result of residents showing up, speaking out, and staying engaged. I want residents to know exactly where things stand and what the developer has committed to as this proposal moves through the public review process.”

Rendering photo of the proposed redevelopment of properties along Bancroft Parkway.

Among the commitments outlined by the developer:

• Reduced Building Height and Density: A four-story height limitation along the Bancroft Parkway frontage; a maximum of eight stories on the portion of the project oriented toward the railroad corridor, reduced from the twelve stories in the amended application; and no more than 180 residential units, reduced from the 193 units in the amended application.
• Traffic Routing: Primary access to and from the project’s parking garage will be designed to direct traffic toward main arterial roads and away from the Bancroft Parkway median corridor, subject to applicable City and State engineering review and requirements.
• Continued Community Communication: Open lines of communication with nearby residents and community organizations throughout development and construction, including information on significant project milestones and construction activities.
• Local Hiring and Union Labor: The developer will emphasize and encourage local hiring, make commercially reasonable, good-faith efforts to maximize participation by Delaware residents in the construction process, and emphasize and encourage union labor participation in completing the project.
• West Side Public Safety & Complete Streets: A commitment of at least $50,000 annually for an initial three-year pilot of the West Side Public Safety & Complete Streets program, administered by West Side Grows Together and Cornerstone West CDC, serving commercial corridors including Union Street, Lincoln Street, 4th Street, and Lancaster Avenue. Potential initiatives include Community Ambassadors, corridor cleanliness, public trash receptacles, overdose prevention training, outreach to vulnerable populations, and Complete Streets beautification and redesign advocacy.

The developer also reaffirmed its commitment to supporting affordable housing. While the proposed Bancroft redevelopment is a market-rate project — and Tsionas is a market-rate residential developer, not an affordable housing developer — Tsionas recently contributed $300,000 to the Todmorden Foundation Inc.’s Flats Phase V senior affordable housing project on Wilmington’s West Side, and stated that it remains open to working with appropriate partners on future affordable housing initiatives throughout the City and State.

“There have been different perspectives throughout this process, and I respect that,” said Councilman Johnson. “My responsibility is to continue listening, asking hard questions, advocating for the neighborhoods I represent, and making sure residents have accurate information about the decisions and commitments that affect their community. This project is smaller, lower, and better because this community demanded to be heard.”

“I appreciate every resident who has attended a meeting, submitted feedback, asked difficult questions, or otherwise participated,” Councilman Johnson added. “Community engagement matters, and I will continue working to ensure residents have a voice as this proposal moves forward.”

The Bancroft rezoning application is scheduled to come before the Wilmington City Planning Commission on Tuesday, August 18, 2026.

The full letter from Angela Tsionas is available at: https://www.wilmingtoncitycouncil.com/documents-reports/letter-to-council-member-johnson-from-angela-tsionas-re-bancroft-redevelopment-signed-08-13-26/#docaccess-42846616f9ce5e6dd9c8fc80b13e5390

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MEDIA CONTACT:
Yesenia Taveras
Director of Communications
Wilmington City Council | City of Wilmington, DE
Office: (302)576-2585
Mobile: (302)757-5748
Email: ytaveras@wilmingtonde.gov
City Council’s Website: www.wilmingtoncitycouncil.com