DOVER, Del. - Downtown Dover's long-discussed revitalization plans are becoming easier to see, with construction underway on the Downtown Dover Mobility Center and additional housing and mixed-use projects moving through the city's review process.
The progress will be highlighted Tuesday during a Downtown Dover Community Open House from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at The Hive on Loockerman. The event is open to the public and no RSVP is required.
Mobility Center construction ramps up
Construction is moving forward on the Mobility Center at 148 S. Bradford St., with foundation walls and concrete work now visible.
Ken Anderson, redevelopment implementation director for the Downtown Dover Partnership, said the project has reached a point where residents can begin seeing the results of months of preparation.
"Now with foundation walls going up, we're pouring cement even as we speak and getting these the concrete panels starting to roll into Dover," Anderson said.
A truck delivery test run is scheduled for Tuesday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. as crews prepare for a much larger wave of construction activity.
Diane Laird, executive director of the Downtown Dover Partnership, said the test run will be followed by more than 300 concrete deliveries over the coming weeks.
"People can expect seeing a test run of vehicles that are coming down and they will be carrying 300 loads of precast concrete for the mobility center in just the next several weeks," Laird said.
The goal is to have the Mobility Center’s structure in place by the end of the year, with parking expected to begin opening in spring 2027.
More projects moving through review
The Mobility Center is one part of a larger downtown redevelopment plan.
The Dover Planning Commission is reviewing proposals for The Governor at 120 S. Governors Ave. and The Old Post, a redevelopment of the former post office.
The Governor is planned to include 120 apartments, a grocery store and smaller retail opportunities. The Old Post project would add apartments and commercial space.
Laird said both projects are part of the broader effort to bring more people and activity downtown.
"Its implementation is really a literal transformation of downtown Dover to bring in new investors and new residents, new destination shoppers and visitors over time, new workforce and to just make it an entirely refreshed downtown Dover for years to come," she said.
Businesses looking ahead
Local businesses are also watching the changes closely.
Jewell Brooks, owner of Sha Scrubz & Apparel on Loockerman Street, said merchants are hopeful the investment will ultimately bring more customers.
"With the change, it's definitely going to help. It's going to support us businesses," she said. "We've already lost a couple on Loockerman because they just couldn't stand in here for the timeline of this change. But we're all hanging in there."
Laird said the Downtown Dover Partnership's larger plan calls for roughly $500 million in investment over time, with about $120 million in planned or underway projects so far.
The community open house Tuesday will give residents a chance to see those projects, get updates and ask questions about what comes next for downtown Dover.
