PRESS RELEASE: Councilman Johnson to Hold First and Second Reading of Bancroft Rezoning Legislation to Allow Continued Community-Developer Dialogue

September 2, 2026

Councilman Johnson to Hold First and Second Reading of Bancroft Rezoning Legislation to Allow Continued Community-Developer Dialogue
Dialogue between residents and the development team is underway; legislation will move forward once further progress is made.

Wilmington, DE — Wilmington City Councilman Chris Johnson, representing the 7th District, announced today that he will hold the first and second reading of the legislation concerning the proposed Bancroft rezoning at 1010 North Bancroft Parkway, 2140 West 11th Street, and 1100 Grant Avenue, in order to give the ongoing dialogue between the community and the development team additional time to continue producing results.

In recent weeks, residents, neighborhood leaders, and Tsionas Management have opened good-faith dialogue aimed at bridging the gap between the proposed redevelopment and the concerns raised throughout the public process. That dialogue is still in its early stages, and additional conversations are being scheduled in the days ahead. It builds on commitments the developer has already made through this process, including reduced building height and density, traffic routing away from Bancroft Parkway, local and union hiring, and a multi-year investment in the West Side Public Safety & Complete Streets program.

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

One point of genuine common ground has emerged from these conversations: while not unanimous, the vast majority of residents have made clear that they want to see housing on this site, which is a great foundation to build on. The question is no longer whether housing belongs here, but how best to make it happen given the zoning framework and legal tools at the City’s disposal. That is precisely the work the continued dialogue is meant to accomplish.

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

“Throughout this process, my commitment has been to listen and to make sure this community’s voice shapes the outcome,” said Councilman Johnson. “The dialogue between residents and the development team is encouraging, and I am not going to rush it. There is real work still to do, and holding the first and second reading gives these conversations the room they need. The legislation will move forward once more progress is made and when it does, it will reflect the input of the people who live here.”

The decision to hold the readings does not withdraw or terminate the legislation. The rezoning matter remains pending before City Council following the completion of the Planning Department and Planning Commission review process, and will be scheduled for first and second reading at a future session.

“This neighborhood has engaged at every stage, which included town halls, working groups, surveys, hearings, and countless letters and conversations,” Councilman Johnson added. “That engagement has made this project smaller, lower, and better, and I want to give that work every opportunity to succeed. I also believe this community deserves complete information as these conversations continue. Should a path forward not materialize, the site will not simply remain as it is. The current zoning already permits a commercial parking facility as of right, without further rezoning, public hearings, or negotiated community conditions. That is simply the legal landscape we are working within, and residents deserve to weigh it as they form their own views. My office has helped bring the parties to the table, and the most productive next chapter belongs to the residents and the development team directly. To their credit, the development team has engaged throughout this process, through working groups, the town hall, and the commitments they have already made. I am encouraging them to build on that foundation with even deeper, on-the-ground engagement with neighbors in the weeks ahead. The strongest agreements are the ones neighbors and developers build together, face to face. My office will remain available to support these conversations as I turn to other pressing priorities before Council, and I look forward to the progress the parties will make together.”

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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