MidAtlantic City Scoop: Construction Starts in Wilmington

AECOM is serving as construction manager for a bridge over Wilmington’s Christina River that will help spur development on the river’s east bank.

*PHOTO BY JACK RAMSDALE PHOTOGRAPHY, COURTESY OF AECOM*

Bancroft is finishing the 10-story Tower at STAR at the University of Delaware’s Newark campus.

*PHOTO BY JAY GREENE, COURTESY OF BANCROFT CONSTRUCTION CO.*

City Grill

Bruce Kay
Vice President of MidAtlantic Construction Services
AECOM

Based in Wilmington, Kay says the city is “under the radar” as a hot spot for millennial workers. In fact, business and civic leaders launched a campaign last month to attract younger workers from Baltimore and beyond to the city’s revitalized waterfront. Recent development along the Christina River’s west bank includes a riverwalk, a wildlife refuge, an environmental and education center, convention center, apartments, condos, hotels, a movie theater and a minor-league baseball stadium.

Kay says AECOM is the construction manager for a $40-million bridge over the river that will “kick-start east side development” when completed in 2020. The Philadelphia 76ers are already building a minor-league basketball arena and community sports complex on the east bank.

“It’s a pretty exciting time,” Kay says.

Delaware led the nation in wage growth between 2013 and 2018 with an 11.2% increase during that period, according to federal statistics. Kay says the state has bounced back from downsizing of two of its largest employers: DuPont Co. and AstraZeneca. DuPont, which later merged with Dow Chemical Co., laid off 1,700 workers in recent years; AstraZeneca closed research and development facilities and cut 2,500 jobs.

Firm in Focus

Bancroft Construction Co.
1300 N. Grant Ave., Ste. 101, Wilmington, Del.
CEO: Greg Sawka
Employees: 120
Founded: 1975
What’s New: Bancroft is finishing the 10-story Tower at STAR at the University of Delaware’s Newark campus. The 130,000-sq-ft multipurpose facility will house the expansion of interdisciplinary research space for the university’s College of Health Sciences and also have commercial office space. A high-tech audio event room will be completed in November. It will provide a flexible space with sophisticated audiovisual equipment for special events.

Bancroft is building or has recently completed the following: Nemours Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children Clubhouse in Wilmington, Severn Hall at Salisbury University in Salisbury, Md., and The Commons at Ursinus College in Collegeville, Pa. The firm provides construction management, general contracting, design-build, preconstruction and virtual design/BIM services throughout the MidAtlantic area.