Making Market Street Beautiful & Welcoming Again: Downtown Visions Security Gate Removal Program

721 N. Market Street receives a face lift and has their security gate removed thanks to Downtown Vision's Main Street Wilmington program. 

One of the first things you notice when you pull onto Market Street for the first time are the gorgeous, colorful historical buildings. What you may not know, is that at one time these beautiful storefronts were somewhat hidden by unsightly security gates. Thanks to Downtown Visions and their Main Street Wilmington Program, many of the gates have been removed.

The goal of removing the security gates was to not only improve the overall atmosphere of Market Street, but to also encourage growth and redevelopment. Perception is critical and new businesses and residents feel much more welcome in an area without security gates. 

Wilmington is not the only city taking down the gates, in 2009, New York City Council voted to ban the kind of security gates that completely shield commercial storefront windows and doors from view — ones that resemble old-fashioned auto garage doors. Removal of solid gates are also a safety precaution, officers and firefighters now have the ability to look inside in an emergency.

Downtown Visions is proud to be paving the way in Wilmington, completely funding the removal project. Security gate removal grants are paid for 100% by Downtown Visions under the Main Street Wilmington program to improve the property value and appearance of each approved applicants. Thus far, Downtown Visions is proud to have removed  27 security gates. 

Lani Schweiger, Main Street Wilmington Project & Communication Coordinator explained, "The original external security gates were very dated.  By removing them it makes the Downtown area look better aesthetically and allows potential customers to view window displays after hours."

701 N. Market Street Wilmington, DE

723 N. Market Street Wilmington, DE

Post by Julia Mason of Enthusiasm Lab

Your City, Your Park, Help it Come to Life!

Photo Courtesy of Spaceboy Clothing

Humble Park at the corner of 4th & Shipley is about to not be so "humble" anymore! Thanks to a collaboration between The City of Wilmington, Downtown Visions and Sanchez of Spaceboy Clothing, the park will soon be filled with vendors, art and entertainment! 

The press is excited for what is to come, and the park is already receiving attention from Technical. ly Delaware and The News Journal! The very first event is a comedy show, scheduled for August 25th at 7 PM and we need YOUR help to prepare! Join your fellow neighbors and business owners in cleaning up the space for everyone to enjoy! We will be meeting on Saturday, August 12th from 9 AM- 1 PM. Feel free to let us know you are coming through our Facebook Event and be sure to spread the word by inviting your friends. This is your chance to be a part of the renaissance happening in your city!

Each future event at the park will not only provide incredible entertainment, it will be giving back to those who need it most. A hot dog stand ran by the Wilmington-based Rick VanStory Resource Center, a recovery-oriented peer center for people with psychiatric disabilities will provide food for sale for each of the shows. Additionally, each of the shows will be free to the public, and have a fundraising effort on-site for a special cause. The show on the 25th will raise funds for Ramona Robinson of Wilmington, who is battling breast cancer and is a family member of Sanchez of Spaceboy.

Have an idea for the park, or want to help contribute to its positive future that is going to affect hundreds of Wilmingtonians? Let us know!

Click the image above to watch a short video provide by Delaware Online on all of the progress made by the generous volunteers!

Follow Spaceboy on Facebook and Instagram

Post by Julia Mason of Enthusiasm Lab

Meet Coffee Scientist Joey Lopes of Coffee Mode

When Joey Lopes makes a cup of coffee he does it with precision and finesse. “For a (regular) cup of coffee, we use 30 grams of freshly ground coffee, and 425 grams of water,” said Lopes, 25. “Milk is a personal choice, but if I were to prepare a customer’s coffee I would use approximately 2 ounces.”

“He’s a coffee scientist,” said Ben Cordova owner of Coffee Mode on 9th and Market. Before the coffee bar opened on October 2016, Cordova chose Lopes to manage the high-quality coffee bar located in the lobby of the Citizens Bank building. Lopes gets his barista expertise working two years at LOMA Cafe, reading, and interviewing coffee bar owners. He is one of three baristas at Coffee Mode.

“I enjoy serving something good and beautiful to someone,” he said. Coffee Mode embraces a coffee bar movement called third wave coffee that treats coffee as an artisan or craft beverage. A Cortado is one of Lopes’s favorite cups of coffee to make. It is made with a shot of espresso cut with an equal part of hot milk. Served in a Gibraltar glass, the beverage looks like a dessert with white steam milk swirls on top, but the rich coffee aroma gives it away.

Lopes, who a year ago moved from Maryland to Wilmington, said coffee bars are invaluable to the city of Wilmington because they offer an informal social venue for community and cultural enrichment. “We have meaningful conversations with customers about politics, technology, and world issues,” he said.

Most of Coffee Mode’s customers are lawyers or business people who stop by in the morning or later in the day for a break. When a frequent customer walks in, Lopes knows what to serve without exchanging a word. Just a nod and a smile is all it takes, he said.

Besides specialty coffees, which are sourced from Elixir Coffee Company in PA, Coffee Mode offers organic teas, smoothies, ciders, ice brew coffee, and fresh baked goods-some gluten-free.

Coffee Mode

919 N Market St
Wilmington DE 19801
(302) 660-1203

Owner: Ben Cordova

Follow Coffee Mode on Facebook

By Adriana Camacho-Church ACCpen1@gmail.com

Downtown Visions Contributing Writer

Downtown Business Spotlight, Dave Bart, of Jerry's Artarama

Dave Bart is pictured in orange on the right, with his incredible team. 

If Dave Bart is not pricing stock when a customer walks into Jerry’s Artarama then he could be unloading trucks or hosting a local art event. The 54-year-old store manager describes himself as an octopus that reaches out beyond the discount art-supply store.

Besides donating easels, brushes or frames to the Creative Vision Factory, which provides therapy through art, the shop hosts or helps advertise local festivals, events, and programs, like the People’s Festival, the Unity Rally at the Jewish Community Center, and Wilmington’s monthly Art Loop.

“We are growing and will continue to grow as the city matures,” said the University of Delaware graduate, who grew up in the state. “I was here before the Blue Rocks Stadium was built and before the Riverfront transformed from oil tanks and brown fields.’’

In 2013 Jerry’s Artarama opened on Market Street. It is part of a specialty art-supply chain founded in 1968 by Jerry Goldstein. There are sixteen stores nationwide. The Delaware location is the only art-supply store in the downtown area. Its customers range from beginners to well known artists. A portion of the shop’s business comes from the sale of art kits to Delaware College of Art and Design students.

Art students and professional artists work at Jerry’s. Donna Cusano, 51, an award-winning artist and Jerry’s assistant manager, says she uses her skills on the job every day. If a customer is not sure which paintbrush to buy, she is there to help. “It depends on what the customer’s goals and priorities are,” said Cusano.

The store is open seven days a week. It offers live and online demonstrations and promotions as well as professional framing and shipping. “If we promise you something, we’ll give it to you,” said Bart. “If we don’t have it we’ll order it.”

Follow Jerry's Artarama on Facebook

By Adriana Camacho-Church ACCpen1@gmail.com

Downtown Visions Contributing Writer

Wilmington Jaycees' Parade this Saturday

This  Saturday will be a great time to bring the whole family out for the 53rd Annual Wilmington Jaycees' Holiday Parade!

Here's the details:

The Wilmington Jaycees’ 53rd Annual Christmas Parade will be held in conjunction with Small Business Saturday on November 26th. Start the shopping season by supporting local businesses that create jobs, boost our economy, and preserve neighborhoods around our country.

11am Jaycee Christmas Parade wilmingtonjaycees.com
The Parade route beings at 5th and King Streets, and ends at Rodney Square. Children at the parade are encouraged to write a letter to Santa and drop it off when Santa passes along the parade route. (Children should provide their complete mailing address, including zip code, if they would like a reply.) The Wilmington Jaycees will work with Santa and his elves to make every effort to answer each letter.

12:30pm-1:30pm Photos with Santa at The Baby Grand, 818 N. Market Street *Bring your camera & take FREE photos with Santa!
Enjoy non-alcoholic drinks inside the Baby Grand *Cash Bar*

2pm & 8pm The Playhouse on Rodney Square Theatre: 
Broadway Christmas Wonderland
www.duponttheatre.com or 302.652.5577

12pm-2pm LIVE MUSIC
Enjoy live music at various Downtown locations TBD!

#ShopSmall this holiday season in Downtown, Wilmington

Enjoy great deals at the following businesses:

• ACT Generation, 715 N. Orange Street 2nd Floor – Shopping, food, music art from 8a-8p with vendors

• Al’s Sporting Good, 200 N. Market Street www.alssportinggoods.net – $10 off of $60 spent, $20 off of $110 spent. Not to be combined with other offers or sales. *print coupon below

• Cherné Altovise Jewelry, 316 N. Market Street www.chernealtovise.com - 20% off total purchase. Not to be combined with other offers or sales.

• Collars n Cuffs, 716 N. Market Street collarsncuffsonline.com – 20% off entire purchase, not to be combined with other offers.

• Delaware History Museum/African American History Museum - 50% off admission to Read House, the Delaware History Museum and the Jane & Littleton Mitchell Center for African American Heritage, not to be combined with other offers. 

• LaFate Gallery, 227 N. Market Street www.lafategallery.com - offering 40% Discount on Original Paintings and 25% on Limited Edition Prints.

• LOMA Coffee, 239 N. Market Street www.lomacoffee.com - Receive 10% off your purchase when you mention that you #shopsmall

City Announces Holiday Season Metered Parking Policy:

During the upcoming holiday season, metered parking will be free in Wilmington’s downtown business district and at the Riverfront during specific times of the day, beginning Friday, November 25, 2016, and running through January 1, 2017.

• Citizens and visitors to the City of Wilmington are reminded that paying for metered parking will only be required between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m.

• From 12:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. the following morning, metered parking will be free.

• This free parking policy only applies to the downtown area from 2nd Street to 12th Street, and from French Street and Washington Street. The policy also applies to the entire Riverfront community.
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