The Choir School of Delaware Inc

Amount Appropriated?

$1.5M

FFID tracks stages 1–2 — stages 3–5 vary by agency, assistance type, and earmark structure.

Project Description

The Choir School has a purchase agreement for a parcel of land in West Center City Wilmington located at 8th and Washington Streets The site is located along the Harriet Tubman Byway in Wilmington's Historic Quaker Hill District, the 19th-century home to leaders of the abolitionist movement. This parcel of land is located within an Opportunity Zone, a New Market Tax Credit Zone, the Equitable Wilmington Zone and the Downtown Development District. It also offers ample free parking for participants and is accessible to public transportation. The new Choir School is an investment in a stronger, more equitable economy in an underrepresented community that suffered disproportionately as a result of the COVID-10 pandemic.\n\nThe scope of work will include demolition of the existing auto-service station and removal of all paving and existing site features. The parcel of land has been accepted into DNREC\u2019s Brownfields Program, which is currently being implemented.\n\nThe Choir School will expand to a larger, more accessible, state-of-the-art facility, providing space for more than 100 children after school, storefront social services accessible to child welfare-involved families, and expanded programming for Wilmington youth. In addition to the music facilities which are at the core of the Choir School, students will have access to a health and wellness center, STEM center, and writing center. The building also includes homework and study rooms to support mentoring and tutoring, a gymnasium, and a cafeteria and kitchen.\n\nThe Choir School is building a landmark for the community that will exist for years to come and a model of adaptive reuse in an urban environment. At approximately 25,000 square feet, the new building is nearly five times the size of the Choir School\u2019s current facility.