Over the past 30 years, Wilmington’s Riverfront has evolved from an industrial wasteland to a vibrant mixed-use community where people live, work, and play.
And development of the area continues, with the focus now shifting to the east side of Christina River.
But the west side of the river is about to see another high-profile addition, one that will offer a place to enjoy a good steak and rent a penthouse apartment.
One of the few remaining parcels on the west side of the Christina River has been acquired by the Big Fish Restaurant Group, which already operates its name-sake restaurant in the district, as well as Taco Grande, a Tex-Mex dining concept and tequila bar.
“We see this project as something that is very much in keeping with the vision for the Riverfront as an exciting, inviting place to enjoy life,” says Eric Sugrue, a Big Fish owner.
Big Fish is partnering with Kennett Square-based ONIX Group to develop a 2.5-acre parcel on Beech Street. Sugrue said Megan McGlinchey, executive director of the Riverfront Development Corporation (RDC), reached out to him to let him know the land was available.
“She made it very clear that this had to be a project that is in harmony and would enhance all the other good things that have happened on the Riverfront and we are in complete agreement with that,” he said.
Sugrue declined to disclose the price for the parcel, although he acknowledged that land in the district is more expensive than it was when Big Fish opened the doors to its restaurant and bar more than 15 years ago.
Big Fish has become a whale in the hospitality industry in recent years, growing through a strategy of acquisition and identifying voids in the market. The business started in 1997 when Sugrue and his brother Norm launched a 90-seat family restaurant on Route One in Rehoboth Beach.
In 2017, Big Fish acquired the Cherry Tree Hospitality Group after the death of founder Darius Mansoory, whose properties in Wilmington included Washington Street Ale House, a rustic tavern and eatery, and Mikimotos, a sleek sushi bar and restaurant. Big Fish went boutique with Torbert Street Social, an atmospheric, speakeasy-style 60-seat cocktail lounge tucked away in a 135-year-old stable that once housed horses for Wilmington’s mounted police. It also owns hip hangout Trolley Square Oyster House.
“There aren’t any steakhouses on the Riverfront. We are going to fill that void.”Eric Sugrue, a Big Fish owner.
When a venture doesn’t work out, Big Fish has demonstrated a willingness to cut bait and move on. Big Fish and Rosenfeld’s Deli, a collaborative concept in North Wilmington, closed in October 2022, six months after opening.
In 2021, Big Fish gobbled up Striper Bites in downtown Lewes; the company’s beach properties already included Summer House, Salt Air, Crab House, Obie’s By The Sea and Sazio. The Stingray Sushi Bar in Rehoboth was part of the Cherry Tree deal. And in January, the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control awarded Big Fish a 10-year contract at Indian River Marina, edging out Hammerhead Dockside, which had operated the popular venue for a decade. The agreement becomes effective March 1.
For the New Castle County enterprise, Sugrue says the steakhouse concept was a natural choice.
“There aren’t any steakhouses on the Riverfront,” he says. “We are going to fill that void.”
He’s further defined the niche as a steakhouse that is inviting and upscale, but not in the upper-tier price range of Bardea Steak on Market Street in Wilmington, where proteins are sold by the ounce and the tab for dinner for two routinely exceeds $400.
“It will be very nice, but not out of reach for most people,” he says.
Jonathan Silver of ONIX says the residential component of the project will include 216 apartments, including posh penthouse units with soaring ceilings and such upgraded finishes as premium kitchen counters and tile selections. Penthouses will range in size from 1,640 square feet to 1,900 square feet.
“We think the penthouses will be very attractive to people who want to rent while enjoying a very luxurious lifestyle,” he says.
In addition to the penthouses, the mix will include 40 studio apartments, as well as one-bedroom and two-bedroom units, with or without dens, with small open-air balconies. A rooftop terrace offers the work-from-home set an open-air place to catch up on emails. A interior courtyard with a pool, fireplace, pergola, seating areas and lush plantings is envisioned as a place for residents to socialize. A simulated golf center is on the developers’ wish list.
The target market is young professionals, age 25-35, who enjoy the Riverfront’s walkability and ready access to bars, restaurants and entertainment venues that range from an Imax theater to miniature golf.
Rents have not yet been determined but prospective tenants can expect to pay market rates, which currently range from $1,500-$3,000 a month.
The first floor will be devoted to the 7,000-square-foot restaurant, which will be expanded with outdoor patio dining during the warmer months.
Sugrue has previous experience building apartments, partnering with Ocean Atlantic, a Sussex County real estate group affiliated with Schell Brothers, a leading homebuilder. Cypress Green, a housing development in Milton, includes 240 units. He also is considering building dormitory-style lower-cost housing for employees of Big Fish restaurants at the beach, where many hospitality workers are priced out of the rental market.
“We think the penthouses will be very attractive to people who want to rent while enjoying a very luxurious lifestyle.”Jonathan Silver, ONIX Group
“We think the penthouses will be very attractive to people who want to rent while enjoying a very luxurious lifestyle,” he says.
For the new venue, the builder will be GGA Construction of Middletown, a frequent collaborator. Groundbreaking is expected in late spring or early summer. “GGA has built and are currently building a number of our projects.,” Silver says. “I can’t say enough good things about them.”
Currently, about 2,000 people live in condominiums, townhouses, and apartments on the Riverfront, many of whom work at AAA Mid-Atlantic, Barclays Bank and other major employers located there. About 1 million people visit each year to shop, dine, or take in such attractions as the Delaware Children’s Museum, Russell W. Peterson Wildlife Refuge, OperaDelaware, City Theater Company and Delaware Theatre Company. The Blue Rocks, a minor league baseball team, plays at Frawley Stadium. The Delaware Blue Coats, affiliated with the Philadelphia 76ers, play at the Chase Fieldhouse.
About $414 million in government funds has gone into the Riverfront since 1995. Its evolution has included successes, false starts, and reinvention. A failed retail outlet center was converted to office and service space. A convention center was reconfigured to accommodate smaller events. Condominiums were reimagined as upscale apartments to capitalize on a hot rental market.
Today, Sugrue says the district is living up to its promise as a thriving, mixed-use community.
“The Riverfront has been a great investment for us,” he says. “It’s definitely a place we are committed to for the long term.”
