DOVER, Del.- This week city leaders selected a developer to re-vitalize the decades old former post office.
No mail has passed through the building in about five years, now it's set to embrace a vibrant future.
Dover City Manager, Dave Hugg, said the property will be transformed into a combination of "30 apartments with some amenities, a coffee shop, retail stores and some offices."
Hugg said the city received 14 proposals for the property.
"It actually blew me away," he said. "I was kind of convinced the building was in worse shape than it actually is."
Some community members think it's what downtown Dover has been missing.
"I think we need some new affordable housing, just something to freshen up the place because it's getting a little old looking over here," said Dover resident Cameron Jackson. "I like the charm of the old traditional look but I think we need some fresh real estate."
Preserving that historic charm is what led city leaders to their decision.
"[The developers] are calling the building 'The Old Post,'" Hugg confirmed. "They are keeping the front of the building pretty much as it is and dressing it up a little and I suspect they'll end up taking the back down and putting the apartments there."
Crews could begin working on the property as soon as January.
Hugg said the project will not only bring more people downtown, but will add a tax benefit as almost half of the properties in the area are tax exempt.
