Dine Downtown Deal

Dine Downtown Deal Wilmington DE

What is it?

Support Downtown Wilmington DE eateries and you’ll get rewarded! Dine-in or take out 5x between 1/1/24 and 3/31/24 and receive a gift card in the amount of 20% of the total meals purchased (before tip) to the business of your choice in the Wilmington Downtown Business Improvement District (WDBID).

How does it work?   

Dine-in OR takeout at any restaurant within Wilmington’s Downtown Business Improvement District (*see map) between 1/1/24 and 3/31/24. 

  • Take a photo of your receipt

  • Send it with your name, dining location, and date

  • To Downtown Visions (DTV) via text message at 302-502-6003.  

We will keep track of your purchases and when five (5) valid Downtown restaurant receipts are submitted, DTV will contact you to process your earned gift card (20% of total meals, before tip) and inquire as to which Downtown business you want your gift card to and we will mail your gift card! It is that simple! You get cash back for dining at the Downtown restaurants you love. 

When?  

The Dine Downtown Deal initiative program will run from 1/1/24 – 3/31/24, and gift card prizes will be valid for 2024. 

Click here for a list of participating Restaurants. Scroll down to the ‘Food & Drink’ section.

Wilmington Downtown Business Improvement District (BID).png

What’s the Fine Print?

Only genuine receipts from eateries within the official boundaries of the Wilmington’s Downtown Business Improvement District (WDBID) are eligible for the Dine Downtown Deal (see map).  An eatery is defined as a business whose primary purpose is to prepare and serve food to the general public in sit-down or take-out form. Businesses that sell food products as a secondary function are not eligible as receipt sources. Receipts must be for dine-in or takeout. Gift cards or merchandise purchases from the restaurants are not valid. Gift cards cannot be used towards the purchase of DDD receipts submitted.

Limit of 2 gift cards per participant. You cannot submit more than one receipt from the same location on the same day. The receipts must be legible and submitted along with the customer name, dining location, and the date of the meal.  An online survey must be completed in order to receive your gift card(s). In case of a dispute, DTV has the final authority to decide what receipts are eligible. All receipts must be submitted by April 30, 2024.

Cashback gift cards are limited to 20% of the total of the five (5) valid receipts submitted (before tip) or up to $100 and may be issued to any business located within the WDBID for use in 2024. A total of five (5) receipts must be submitted in order to be eligible for a gift card. Partial submittals have no cash value. Gift cards will be awarded on a first-come, first-serve basis until funds are exhausted. Employees of DTV are excluded from the program.

Business Improvement District

Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) are areas in which property owners pay an assessment, in addition to property taxes, to fund cleaning, security and marketing services. These services supplement those provided by City government. BIDs have been proven to help in reducing crime and to spark increased retail activity. Cleaner streets and sidewalks help this process.

Funding for Wilmington’s BID is provided primarily by property owners who pay an annual assessment directly to Downtown Visions based on their property tax assessments. Other sources for the operating budget come from proceeds from our for-profit subsidiary, Clean & Safe Services, Inc.

The properties with the top 10% (highest) assessed values pay approximately 80% of the overall assessments

BID ASSESSMENT FAQS

How is my assessment calculated?

Assessments are based on the following formula: Per $100 of New Castle County assessed value x .3770 = total assessment. To find out the assessed value of your property, contact the New Castle County Department of Land Use at 302-395-5400 or visit www.nccde.org.

When are assessment bills mailed?

Annual assessment bills are mailed late-June.

When is my assessment due?

Your bill runs from July 1 through June 30 and is due July 31.

Where do I mail my payment?

WDBID Management Company
(DBA) Downtown Visions
P.O. Box 71271
Philadelphia, PA 19176-6271

Can I pay my bill in person?

Yes. Bills may also be paid in person at Downtown Visions headquarters between 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. at 409 Orange Street, Wilmington, DE 19801

What if I have questions about my bill?
For questions about your assessment bill, please contact Loshawn Maxwell at
(302) 425-4200 ext. 105.

Small Business Saturday

Thank you for shopping Small with us on Small Business Saturday and throughout the holiday season! As always, we encourage customers to stay Downtown and shop local for great deals! Who knows, you may even get to visit with Santa! 

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2023 - SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY

The Downtown Christmas Parade by the Wilmington Jaycee’s will kickoff at 2nd and Market Streets at 11 AM. The Parade will feature local celebrities and dignitaries, marching and string bands, community organizations, floats and attractions, your favorite cartoon characters, and of course Santa Claus. Don’t forget that Elves will be accepting Letters to Santa!

  • Chelsea Tavern, 821 N Market Street
    Buy One Gift Card Get One FREE. Deal valid on Christmas Eve ONLY from 10am-5pm. Online cards will be available this year for the first time, but will only be available as Buy One $100 Get One $100 Card FREE (fees apply).

  • Delaware Historical Society, 505 N Market Street
    10% off all membership levels. This discount is only available Friday, November 24. Visit dehistory.org/membership and enter code “BlackFriday” to get the deal.

  • Faire Cafe, 216 W. 9th Street
    10% off of coffee with purchase of food November 25th through the November 30th.

  • Girard Craft and Cork, 224 West 9th Street
    Discount offers include a choice of a 5% off purchase of beer or spirits (liquor) or 10% off purchase of wine. Must show 12 Days of Christmas coupon when making purchase. This discounted rate expires on Friday, December 29, 2023.

  • Herbert Studios, 219 N. Market Street
    All photographic prints $50 off until 12/23/2023

  • Huxley & Hiro, 419 N Market Street
    10% in-store discount on both Saturdays and Sundays between Thanksgiving and New Year's.

  • LaFate Gallery, 227 N Market Street
    Original artwork starting at $100, Mini Framed Prints 50% off and Coffee Mugs with images of the Art of Eunice LaFate Buy One, Get One at 50% off. Offers valid from November 25-December 30th.

  • The Mill, 1007 Orange Street (Nemours Building)
    FREE First Month of a Community Membership at the Downtown Wilmington location with a six-month agreement. Scan QR Code in the graphic to fill out a form to redeem this discount.

  • Spaceboy Clothing, 205 N Market Street
    Get Free shipping on all online orders until the end of the year and save 20% when you shop in-store.

  • Theatre N, 1007 Orange Street (Nemours Building)
    FREE medium popcorn on Sundays and Wednesdays with each ticket.
    Visit TheatreN.com and sign up for our Weekly Email! We'll send a new 'code word' each week! Mention the 'code word' when purchasing your ticket at Theatre N. The '12 Days of Christmas' promotion runs from November 26 - December 27.

  • Tonic Seafood & Steak, 111 W 11th Street
    Receive a  $25 bonus gift card with in-store purchase of $100 gift card between November 24 through December 24. Card can be used at Tonic Seafood & Steak or Park Café.

  • Town & Shore Handcrafted, 221 N Market Street
    25% off on seasonal wood dough bowl candles by KC Essentials for the entire month of December. 

DOWNTOWN HOLIDAY MARKETS & EVENTS:

Downtown Visions is partnering with DE.CO to bring the Downtown Winterfest holiday market to Downtown Wilmington. The Holiday Market will run on Saturday, November 25 and Downtown Winterfest will be on December 2, 9, 16 & 23 from 11am-4pm.

Patrons can expect a holiday market, DE.CO food vendors, make your own bloodymary bar, Holiday music, entertainment, face painting, kids’ characters & more! #ShopSmall at DE.CO Food Hall offering a variety of local items, unique gifts and more from our small business vendors.

Shop Small this season! Save the dates for all the Downtown holiday happenings.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2023

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2023

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2023

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2023

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2023

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2023

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2023

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2023

We invite you to the return of the popular Light Up the Square tree-lighting celebration. This cherished holiday tradition will take place on Tuesday, December 5, at 6:00 p.m. in Rodney Square, at 10th and Market Streets. The public is encouraged to join in singing traditional holiday songs with live performances by the 287th Army Band, Jea Street Jr., Rachel Schain, Orisha Watson, and more. Santa Claus and Rudolph will stop by, and there will also be FREE food, a children’s book giveaway, and face painting! DE.CO Food Hall, at 111 West 10thStreet, will host a holiday pre-party beginning at 4:30 p.m. with food and drink specials and live music by Son of Sinatra.

Façade Improvement Program

Within the Wilmington Downtown Business Improvement District, a block-by-block inventory done by Downtown Visions in 2009 showed that 78% of the buildings would benefit from improved façade treatments, in order to improve their appeal and, in many cases, preserve key historic features. The external appearance of a commercial or retail building is a major factor in attracting potential customers. Statistics from the National Trust for Historic Preservation Main Street Center show that for every $1 invested in façade improvements, $18 resulted in increased Downtown business in 2012.

Since 2010, Downtown Visions’ Main Street Wilmington Program has completed seventy five (75) building projects and awarded approximately $810,000 in grants towards the restoration of buildings within Downtown Wilmington. These building projects included the removal of twenty eight (28) exterior roll down security gates, fifty eight (58) new business signs or awnings, new exterior lights in a dark block, the lighting of the Grand Opera House, the repainting of an entire block of buildings, and the complete restoration of fifty six (56) building facades. These improvements directly resulted in several new business openings as well as improving the revenues through visual appeal of forty three (43) existing businesses. This has inspired private owners of neglected buildings to join into the movement to revitalize downtown investing their own funds without the need for public subsidy. Both public and private investment has increased dramatically with the creation of the Downtown Development District administered through the Delaware State Housing Authority and private investment by companies like the Buccini/Pollin Group.

A walk down Market Street proves that our Main Street Wilmington Program has been incredibly successful in the restoration of the once hidden and neglected historic character. The program has inspired others to become partners and new businesses to call Downtown Wilmington their home. It is our intent to continue this needed program along the 9th Street corridor and the side streets connecting with Market Street.

As a part of the Façade Improvement Program the Security Gate Removal Project is designed to not only restore the visual aspects of the buildings, but to also improve the perception of safety in the downtown. External roll down security gates have a negative psychological impact especially on visitors during the evening hours. Because current City Code does not forbid the use of these gates we have felt the need to offer 100% funding towards the removal. To reduce our costs we have managed the project internally and contracted directly with vendors. All grants awarded are for physical improvements and do not go towards soft costs. Since 2012 we managed the removal of 28 external roll down security gates.  Each has expressed interest in doing residential on the upper floors of their properties. The ability to do multiple buildings yielded substantial savings and increased productivity.

Downtown Visions staff oversee the entire project from beginning to end. Grants are offered on a matching basis up to $10,000 per façade improvement.  Gate removal reimbursement up to $10,000 for the removal of an external security gate and installation of a new, interior security gate or shatter-proof glass. Interior fit-out grant funding reimbursement is available up to $10,000 on permanently affixed items and $2,500 for reimbursement grants for awnings or signage.

Many of the vacant or available locations even in prominent locations do not meet current code requirements and the market lease rate is not sufficient to cover the investment needed by the property owner. This cost becomes the burden of the new business which makes the location cost prohibitive. Even with these investments there remain significant gaps in affordable housing opportunities within Downtown Wilmington, both in physical separation between locations and in the ability for individual property owners to finance.

Downtown Visions Main Street Program is currently doing a complete comprehensive inventory of every building within the Business Improvement District (BID). This analysis first will primarily focus on vacant buildings and those with vacant upper floors or underutilized. Each will be evaluated as to square footage, number and size of apartments, condos or commercial units.

Our nationally renowned Main Street Program is designed to help you find the right location, guide you through the process of opening your business, and even find grants and/or funding to help you get started.

Contact Main Street Wilmington, Program Director, Lani Schweiger at lschweiger@downtownvisions.org 

Downtown Parking

PARKING IN DOWNTOWN WILMINGTON, DE

Downtown Wilmington DE Parking

If you’ve ever questioned where to park in Downtown Wilmington DE, look no further! There are plenty of parking options to accommodate residents and visitors. Taking a trip Downtown has never been easier!

PUBLIC PARKING

This public parking map is complete with maximum daily rates*, garages, and open lot locations so your next trip into Wilmington, DE is easy breezy. Special thanks to Colonial ParkingWilmington Parking AuthoritySP+Downtown Visions, and The City of Wilmington, DE for compiling this information.

Download the Downtown Wilm DE app in the app store for parking information, including a parking directory listing of garages and surface lots.

The City of Wilmington also offers metered parking through ParkMobile throughout the Central Business District. Metered parking is free on weeknights after 6pm and on weekends.

For more information on parking in Downtown Wilmington DE, click here.

*Rates are subject to change without notice.

FREE CUSTOMER PARKING at select RESTAURANTS

Enjoy complimentary 3-Hour Customer Parking at the following restaurants:

  • Chelsea Tavern

  • Stitch House Brewery

  • DECO Food Hall

  • Wilma’s

  • Makers Alley.

Park at Midtown Garage located at 200 W. 9th Street. Register your vehicle upon entering, scan the QR code upon arriving at the participating restaurants and enjoy! See server for details.
Brought to you by Downtown Visions

FREE CUSTOMER PARKING IN LOMA

Looking for customer parking in the 2nd & LOMA area!? Thanks to Delaware Technical Community College for offering FREE weekend parking at lot #4 on the corner of 2nd & Orange Streets from Friday evening through midnight Monday.

Please be advised that overnight parking in the Del Tech lot #4 is not permitted. Violators will be subject to towing.

Photo Credit: wilmingtonde.gov

Photo Credit: wilmingtonde.gov