Wilmington’s Newest Live-Work-Play Neighborhood

Buccini Pollin Group Announces the Culmination of a $230 Million Redevelopment Now Known as Market West

Market West will establish a downtown lifestyle campus centered around the redevelopment of the former Nemours Building.  

Wilmington-based developer The Buccini/Pollin Group, Inc. (BPG) is proud to announce Market West, a thriving mixed-use campus across five city blocks in downtown Wilmington comprised of the Nemours, Brandywine, and Dupont buildings and CityCenter and ParkBPG parking garages. As the geographical center located at 1007 N Orange St, the Nemours building will be the flagship of the campus and rebranded as the Market West building. The Brandywine building will also be renamed 1000 N West. The $230 million redevelopment signifies the reunification of these five buildings that were all purchased from the Dupont Company over the course of 19 years, and the repositioning of the former 3 million SF Dupont worldwide headquarters campus into Delaware’s premiere mixed-use neighborhood and the lifestyle epicenter of the City of Wilmington.

Market West is where the city meets. Bordering both Market and West Streets, these city blocks contain a multitude of stories, many yet to be told. It marks the entryway to downtown and activates the city’s most historic yet cutting edge assets. From destination dining, live entertainment and outdoor activations to luxury accommodations, convenient parking, and modern workspaces for both startups and headquarters, Market West brings living, working, and enjoying together for a new chapter in the core of the city.

In 1999, the Buccini/Pollin Group acquired from the Dupont Company the Nemours, Brandywine, and CityCenter buildings as its first investment in downtown Wilmington, and later added the Dupont and ParkBPG buildings to its portfolio in 2017. Making up the original worldwide headquarters for the Dupont Company, BPG has reassembled ownership of all five buildings. Once the core of the central business district, BPG has expanded the Market West campus to include additional properties such as the renowned I.M. Pei building at 1105 N Market Street. As stewards of these historic assets, BPG has taken great care to restore these buildings to their former glory overseeing millions of dollars in renovations and capital improvement projects.

Market West is the only mixed-use development and redevelopment of this scale in Delaware’s history totaling over 1 million SF of office space, 553 residential units, 88,500 SF of retail, and 1,170 public parking spaces. BPG commenced the first phase of Market West with the conversion of the Dupont building to mixed-use hotel, apartments, office, retail, and entertainment. The nearly $130 million renovation was completed in 2020 and encompassed the entire 1 million SF building to make way for the Chemours Company global headquarters, 101 dupont place apartments, DECO Food Hall, Le Cavalier at The Green Room, the 1,200 seat Playhouse on Rodney Square, and retail such as the Currie Salon and Spa. Additionally, after its conversion from Dupont headquarters to a multi-tenant office building upon its initial acquisition in 1999, 1000 N West (Brandywine) is wrapping up three years of upgrades to accompany its leasing efforts, including the addition of a ground floor amenity space and upcoming plaza renovation. 1000 N West and 1105 N Market will continue to be the premier commercial office buildings for Market West.

At the center of the new Market West campus sits the namesake property now undergoing a $100 million redevelopment. The former Nemours building, now known as Market West, currently consists of 450,000 SF of office space, 16,000 SF of existing retail, and 85 former extended-stay furnished apartments. The redevelopment into Market West will reduce the office space to 150,000 SF and repurpose the historic building into 355 luxury apartments, expand The Mill co-working space to 75,000 SF, introduce Wilmington’s next upscale restaurant, and transform the 17,000 SF outdoor plaza connecting the Market West and 1000 N West buildings.

Aptly named The Standard, the residential component will set the new standard for apartment living in Wilmington. Residents can expect to take advantage of the various onsite amenities like the expanding co-working space at The Mill, the boutique gym at Coreten Fitness, the arthouse cinema Theater N, the bustling Starbucks, and the delicious Café Mezzanotte in addition to new amenities like a private rooftop balcony with stunning river and city views and a resident clubroom perfect for entertaining. The pet-friendly community will also have a dog-washing station, secure package receiving, 24/7 security, and onsite ResideBPG property management and maintenance.

Studio, one- and two-bedroom apartment homes at The Standard will showcase high-end finishes unique to this community like continuous quartz countertops and backsplashes, herringbone tile bathroom flooring, and two-tone upper and lower kitchen cabinets. Other apartment features include large kitchen islands and peninsulas, spacious floor plans, energy efficient stainless-steel appliances, LATCH keyless access smart technology, in-unit washer and dryers, and large operable windows offering a great deal of natural light. Additionally, penthouse lofts boast interior spiral staircases separating the living spaces, private balcony access, and kitchen upgrades such as French door refrigerators and built-in wine and beverage fridges.

The Standard will be delivered in phases with the first 92 units available beginning July 1st for move-ins. ResideBPG is currently pre-leasing phase one and scheduling hard hat tours for early June. For a limited time, The Standard is offering two months’ free rent on a 15-month lease. For more information, please visit residethestandard.com

With the addition of The Standard, Market West highlights the industry trend of converting underutilized and vacant office space to mixed-use in order to recover the vitality of downtown districts in the post-COVID environment. Rather than demolish the property, the redevelopment of the Nemours building will return vibrancy to a historic asset and introduce hundreds of 24/7 residents and visitors to an area that was formerly only occupied between the hours of 9am and 5pm by the corporate workforce.

“Market West is the culmination of 25 years of acquiring and repurposing the former Dupont worldwide headquarters complex,” said Chris Buccini, Co-President of the Buccini/Pollin Group. “While we continue to honor and respect the century-old history of these buildings, we are ecstatic to introduce Delaware’s premiere live-work-play neighborhood. At Market West, a new history will be created in the century to come.”

For office space ,availability, please contact Jeffrey Gannett at (302) 691-4067 or email jgannett@bpgroup.net

For The Mill co-working space availability, please visit themillspace.com/wilmington.