Wilmington City Council Member Bob Williams Urges Citizens to Support Better Block 2016
West Side Grows Together will redesign the 500 and 600 blocks of Union Street August 1 through August 3 to show the potential for revitalized economic activity
Wilmington City Council Member Bob Williams (D-7th District) today joined with his Council colleagues in expressing support for an event next week that will present two blocks of Union Street in a new light. Better Block 2016 will demonstrate the possibilities of new economic activity along one of the City’s most heavily-traveled corridors and give people the opportunity to advocate for making the changes permanent.
From Monday, August 1 through Wednesday, August 3, West Side Grows Together, a coalition of organizations, residents and businesses on the west side of Wilmington, will host Better Block 2016. Citizens are invited to dine, lounge, walk, and bike outdoors from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. each evening along the temporarily redesigned 500 and 600 blocks of North Union Street. One traffic lane will be transformed through the addition of landscaping, outdoor seating, public art, a bike lane, live music and artists creating a more vibrant, pedestrian-friendly area.
“The community has once again come together, as it has done for many important projects in the west side, and redesigned a portion of Union Street in a unique and clever way,” said Council Member Williams. “I urge everyone to come out and enjoy a new way to experience Union Street and think about the possibilities for the future. Most of all, I urge everyone to enjoy great food, drink, atmosphere and the company of others.”
According to a news release from West Side Grows Together and the West End Neighborhood House, the Better Block Project is a nationally-recognized demonstration tool that temporarily redesigns an area with community input and a minimal budget to show the potential for revitalized economic activity. The project brings to life the concepts the community recommended in the West Side Grows Together Revitalization Plan.
The news release said this year’s event will be an opportunity to advocate for the changes that the community would like to see along the commercial corridor. The release indicates that the City of Wilmington supports many of the design concepts demonstrated at Better Block in past years and has prioritized an application to make many of these features permanent. Additional information will be provided on the funding process and how more people can get involved.
For additional information about this project, visit westsidegrows.org, or find out more on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. You can also contact Sarah Lester at (302) 658-4171 ext. 184, via cell phone at (302) 593-8409 or email Sarah at slester@westendnh.org.
For more information about this news release, contact:
John Rago
Communications and Policy Development Director
Wilmington City Council
Phone: (302) 576-2149
Mobile: (302) 420-7928
Email: jrago@WilmingtonDE.gov