Seaford receives a $3 million grant from DNREC to clean up its riverfront.
The cleanup will include the redevelopment of a site along the Nanticoke River where a decommissioned power plant currently resides. The power plant will soon be demolished, and the city will clean the site for contaminants.
Then, developers plan to construct a mixed-use building with residential and commercial spaces. The current plan will have space available for restaurants on the ground floor and apartments above the commercial space.
Sussex County Council President Michael Vincent said the old plant detracts from Seaford’s riverfront, and he’s looking forward to replacing it.
“It's gonna be a tremendous project for Seaford and Western Sussex.”
Seaford was designated a state Downtown Development District about ten years ago, and Seaford’s director of economic development Trisha Newcomer said this project will continue Seaford’s revitalization as part of that program.
“Just having the whole change to the riverfront, certainly taking care of the contaminants that are here – it's great,” Newcomer said.
Newcomer added that it’s important to clean the area for both environmental and social reasons.
“We're right here, right on the Nanticoke River, so that, in and of itself, speaks volumes, right?” Newcomer said. “So, we want to make sure that this gets taken care of. We want to make sure that the area is safe for families to come visit and walk and be around in our downtown.”