UPDATES

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The rezoning application has not been withdrawn. It remains on hold indefinitely, and no City Council action is expected in the near term.

We will post updates here and to our mailing list if anything changes.

September 30th, 2026 | Developer's Alternative Concept Under Existing Zoning  

A few weeks ago, Tsionas Management shared an alternative concept for the site with a small group of neighbors. The concept would be built under current zoning, without the rezoning.

As described by the developer:

• 72 one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments, split evenly between two separate, unconnected buildings (36 units in each)

• A three-story building on 2140 W. 11th Street and 1010 N. Bancroft Parkway, the two parcels in the rezoning application. Current C-1 zoning limits these parcels to 3 stories and 47 feet.

• An eight-story building on 1100 N. Grant Avenue, behind the site near 2000 Pennsylvania Avenue. That parcel is already zoned C-2, which allows that height today, and was never part of the rezoning application.

• Roughly 48 surface parking spaces

• Apartments not marketed as luxury, with rents the developer says would appeal to teachers, nurses, police officers, and similar households

This is a concept only. It has not been submitted to the City, and we have not taken a position on it.

What it does show is something we have said from the start: the site can be developed, including new housing, without a rezoning. We support thoughtful development that fits Bancroft Parkway, and current zoning already allows for it.

The rezoning application has not been withdrawn. It remains on hold indefinitely, and no City Council action is expected in the near term. Our position is unchanged: we oppose the rezoning.

We'll post updates here if anything changes.

Contact City Council →

September 14th, 2026 | No New Dates Set — Rezoning NOT on Sept. 16 or Sept. 17 Agendas  

As we shared prior to the Sept. 3 City Council meeting, the Bancroft rezoning was not introduced for its first and second readings that night.

We can now confirm the rezoning is also NOT on the agenda for:

• Wednesday, Sept. 16 — Community Development & Urban Planning Committee meeting

• Thursday, Sept. 17 — City Council meeting

If you received our flyer listing these two dates as key meetings to attend, please note they no longer apply to this issue. Please let any neighbors know.

There is currently no new date for the first and second readings, the CD&UP Committee meeting, or a final vote. We'll share updated dates when they're confirmed — here and by email.

What's happening now: Our coalition continues meeting individually with City Councilmembers to make sure they understand what's being requested and what it would mean for the surrounding community.

What you can do: Even with no meetings on the calendar right now, you can still email or write every City Councilmember to voice your opposition to the rezoning — whenever it does come up for a vote.

Contact City Council →

September 3rd, 2026 | Sept. 3 Readings Postponed — New Dates Not Yet Set 

Despite the Planning Commission's 4-1 vote recommending against this rezoning, the application is moving forward to City Council. Nearly 40 people spoke at the Planning Commission hearing, with more than 300 people attending in person and online — that turnout is what drove the 4-1 result, and we need to keep it up.

The Bancroft rezoning will not be introduced at the Sept. 3 City Council meeting. It has been held for that meeting only — it has not been withdrawn.

Because the first and second readings did not happen on Sept. 3 as planned, the rest of the schedule shifts too. The Sept. 16 Community Development & Urban Planning Committee meeting and the Sept. 17 City Council vote were built around that timeline, so those dates are no longer expected to hold. We do not yet know the new dates. City Council meetings are generally held on the first and third Thursdays of the month, and we will share updated dates as soon as they're confirmed.

Thursday, September 3 — 6:30 PM
City Council Meeting (regular meeting — Bancroft rezoning not on the agenda)
Council Chambers, Louis L. Redding City/County Building, 800 N. French Street
(Virtual link – if you cannot attend in person)
Parking available at the Government Garage and on the street.

We are in this for the long haul. As soon as the first and second readings, the CD&UP Committee meeting, and the final vote are rescheduled, we'll let you know here and by email.

August 28th, 2026 | Three Upcoming City Council Meetings — We Need Your Support

Despite the Planning Commission's 4-1 vote recommending against this rezoning, the application is moving forward to City Council. Nearly 40 people spoke at the Planning Commission hearing, with more than 300 people attending in person and online — that turnout is what drove the 4-1 result, and we need to keep it up. 

But the Planning Commission only makes a recommendation. City Council has the final say. We are hearing that the developer and Councilman Chris Johnson are continuing to talk with Councilmembers and push for the rezoning, including through proposed “voluntary commitments” regarding height and density. This is why we need to stay engaged.

There are three Council meetings coming up. The September 17th meeting is the most important, but all three are opportunities to show Council that the community's opposition has not changed. 

Thursday, September 3 — 6:30 PM
City Council Meeting — First & Second Readings   (Virtual link – if you cannot attend in person)
Council Chambers, Louis L. Redding City/County Building*, 800 N. French Street
*Parking is available at the Government Garage and on the street. 

Wednesday, September 16 — 5:00–7:00 PM
Community Development & Urban Planning Committee Meeting
1st Floor Committee Room, Louis L. Redding City/County Building, 800 N. French Street 

Thursday, September 17 — 6:30 PM
City Council Meeting — Vote Expected
Council Chambers, Louis L. Redding City/County Building, 800 N. French Street 

The developer has offered to build something smaller than the maximum allowed under the proposed rezoning. But a promise made today about what the developer intends to build is not the same thing as putting a permanent height or density limitation into the zoning.

We also need Councilmembers to understand an important distinction:

Deed restrictions and "voluntary commitments" are private agreements. They are not zoning. The hard fact is that any developer, whether it is Tsionas or another one in the future, will have the right to build up to 15 stories. It does not matter what is promised today or tomorrow. The allowable height will always be 15 stories.

If the City believes a particular height or density is appropriate for this site, those limitations should be established through the City’s zoning process—not left for neighboring residents to enforce ourselves through private legal action.

The community has been very clear: The developer should build within the existing zoning. We support housing. We support development. We want these parcels put to productive use. But we do not believe the City should prioritize the developer’s wishes at the expense of thousands of residents who are opposed.

What You Can Do Now:

1. Email ALL members of City Council
Please tell them that you oppose the rezoning and that private commitments are not a substitute for zoning. Council should not approve a rezoning that allows substantially greater height and density and then rely on private agreements to limit what can actually be built.

You can find all Councilmembers' contact information here: Contact City Council →

2. Attend one -- or all -- of the upcoming City Council Meetings
Even if you don't want to speak, your presence matters. Councilmembers need to see that this issue matters to the people who live here. See dates above.

3. Share this information with your neighbors
There are still people who don't understand that the rezoning would permanently change what can be built on these parcels — or that Council, not the developer, is ultimately responsible for deciding whether that change should happen.

August 27th, 2026 | The Rezoning Is Moving to City Council, Action Needed Now 

Despite the Planning Commission's 4-1 vote recommending against this rezoning, the application is moving forward to City Council. Likely dates are:

• September 3: First and second readings

• September 17: Third reading and Final vote

We're also hearing there are negotiations of a smaller building than the version proposed on 8/13. A smaller building does not fix the underlying problem. The question before Council isn't what the developer says it will build today — it's whether to permanently change the zoning to allow up to 15 stories and 180 feet on this site, for this developer or any future owner.

What you can do now:

Contact (email and call) ALL City Councilmembers and ask them to vote NO when this comes up for vote.  

Click here to launch a draft email with all ALL City Councilmember email addresses.

More information: Contact City Council →

August 18th, 2026 | Planning Commission Votes 4-1 to Recommend Denial 

After more than three hours of public testimony, the City Planning Commission voted against Resolution 13-26, the resolution recommending approval of the Bancroft rezoning application. Final vote: 4 Against, 1 For.

Thank you to the 35+ speakers who testified, and to everyone who attended, submitted written testimony, or helped spread the word. This vote is a direct result of that turnout.

What this means:

• The Planning Commission has formally recommended denial of the rezoning.

• The application moves next to Wilmington City Council, which will hold committee review and three separate readings before a final vote.

• Because the Commission recommended denial, City Council would need a three-quarters supermajority — 10 of 13 members — to approve the rezoning over that recommendation.

Next steps: More details to come in the coming days.

August 14th, 2026 | Councilman Johnson Announces Developer Commitments 

On August 14, Councilman Chris Johnson released a signed letter from Tsionas Management (dated 8/13) with new commitments, including:

• 4-story height limit facing Bancroft Parkway; 8 stories max toward the rail corridor (down from 12 in the amended application)

• 180 units maximum (down from 193)

• Traffic routed away from the Bancroft Parkway median

• Local and union hiring commitments

• $50,000/year for 3 years toward a West Side Public Safety & Complete Streets program

• Continued community communication during construction

Why this doesn't change our position:

These commitments live in a private letter, not the zoning code. They are not legally enforceable and don't bind any future owner of the property. The rezoning application itself is unchanged — it still requests R-5-B and C-2 zoning, both of which permit up to 15 stories and 180 feet, with no reduction written into the ordinance.

If this rezoning is approved, the numbers in the letter have no legal weight. Tsionas, or any future owner, could build up to the full zoning maximum regardless of what the letter promises.

We support the reductions described in the letter. What we oppose is a permanent zoning change that allows far more than what's being promised. A letter is a promise. Zoning is the law. Only binding height and density limits written into the zoning itself would actually guarantee this smaller building.

August 10th, 2026 | Land Use & Planning Department Recommends Approval 

The City's Land Use and Planning Department issued its public notice ahead of the August 18 Planning Commission hearing, recommending approval of the Bancroft rezoning as filed — including the R-5-B and C-2 designations that permit up to 15 stories / 180 feet. Context that matters:

• The Planning Department is a staff agency. It reviews and recommends, but does not vote or decide.

• The Planning Commission holds the hearing on 8/18 and votes independently of staff's recommendation.

• Even after a Planning Commission vote, the matter still goes to City Council for three separate readings before a final vote.

A staff recommendation is not a decision. This makes turnout on 8/18 more important, not less.

August 4th, 2026 | Rezoning to be on agenda for the Tuesday 8/18 City Planning Commission Public Hearing

We've got word the Bancroft Parkway rezoning request is on the agenda for the Tuesday August 18th City Planning Commission public hearing. This is the formal public hearing where the City Planning Commission will take testimony and vote on a recommendation regarding the rezoning application.

Submit Your Written Opposition Testimony by Sunday August 9th!

Written testimony must be received 5 business days prior to the 8/18 public hearing, so if you have not -- submit your written testimony ASAP. It does not need to be a hard copy letter -- email is fine!

See Submit Written Testimony for instructions and guidance.

Attend the public hearing on Tuesday August 18th!

Date/Time: Tuesday August 18th, 2026 6PM (arrive up to 1 hour before to ensure a seat)
Location: Louis L. Redding City/County Building, 800 N. French Street, Wilmington DE 19801 (view in Google Maps)
Where to Park: Parking should be available at the Government Garage off 9th Street (view in Google Maps)

Your presence matters. Fill out THIS RSVP FORM to let us know if you plan to attend. 

May 29th, 2026 | Developer Files Amended Rezoning Application 

On May 29, 2026, Tsionas Management filed an amended rezoning application with the City of Wilmington. The developer has characterized the amendment as a response to community feedback. Revised renderings are available on the developer's website.

What changed:

The original application requested C-2 zoning for both parcels. The amended application requests a different designation for each:

• 2140 W. 11th Street (the parcel fronting Bancroft Parkway): C-1 → R-5-B

• 1010 N. Bancroft Parkway (the larger parcel): C-1 → split zoning, with the Bancroft-facing portion designated R-5-B and the interior portion designated C-2

The building's massing has also been revised. Rather than a single nine-story structure, the amended proposal describes a stepped building: 4 stories along Bancroft Parkway, 8 stories through the middle section, and 12 stories toward North Grant Avenue. The overall program remains largely unchanged: 200 apartments, a ground-floor coffee shop, and a 290-space parking garage totaling approximately 320,100 square feet.

What didn't change:

The height ceiling. R-5-B — the new designation on the parcels fronting the parkway — permits structures up to 15 stories and 180 feet under Sec. 48-151 of the city's zoning code. That is the same maximum as C-2. The amended application reduces the C-2 footprint on this site, but does not reduce the legal height exposure on this corner.

The city's own R-5-B purpose clause requires that its density controls "assure that they could adjoin one-family neighborhoods without impairing the value of homes therein" (Sec. 48-138(a)). The parcels are adjacent to Bancroft Village and sit across Bancroft Parkway from single-family homes. A building stepping up to 12 stories in that context does not meet the compatibility standard the code sets for this designation.

Our position remains the same. We continue to oppose this rezoning. Changing the zoning label on the Bancroft-facing parcels from C-2 to R-5-B does not protect the parkway from high-rise development. The height blank check remains.

You can review the full amended application here.