Cynicism and cautious excitement follow Rodney Square reno announcement

Nothing brings out the cynics like a new city project.

When the City of Wilmington announced “The NEW Rodney Square,” a projected $8 million dollar project that will upgrade the downtown park with outdoor seating, greenery and a water feature for kids, the excitement was mixed with doubts.

All over social media, folks (some Wilmington residents and/or workers, some suburban outsiders) gave their two cents.

On Reddit, they wondered whether the project would attract more “vagrants.”

On Facebook, some questioned why Wilmington should have anything nice and reminded everyone that Wilmington has a bad reputation, while others questions using funds for a park instead of for social services. Some, in contrast, applauded the proposed accessibility and amenities for kids:

On Twitter, local businesses showed support:

A new Rodney Square is on the rise in Wilmington!
Check out what our leadership has been working hard on! @MikePurzycki @JohnCarneyDE @wilmingtondegov https://t.co/VpOF9jom6D

— WhyFly (@GetWhyFly) March 9, 2019

A restored and reinvigorated Rodney Square – Yes please! #InWilmDe #ItsTimeWilm @wilmingtondegov @MikePurzycki. #netDE https://t.co/Tgjvu3hnVG

— Union Park Jaguar (@JaguarUnionPark) March 9, 2019

Not least of all, area businesses that will be working directly on the project are understandably pumped:

We're honored to be working with #RodneySquare Conservancy on the revitalization of this historic central square in #WilmDE! #caesarrodney @wilmingtondegov https://t.co/O3mvfw1xLd

— OLIN (@theOLINstudio) March 8, 2019

TWICE in a lifetime! As the CM for the revitalization of Rodney Square in 1990s, we are proud to once again improve the Square. Looking forward to transforming the Square into destination. #buildingwhatmatters https://t.co/uOWsRe8HGP

— EDiS Company (@EDiSCompany) March 7, 2019

So, is the project good, evil or neutral?

This reporter’s take: Rodney Square has been the subject of controversy since it was shut down as a transportation hub, a major change that is still hard to acclimate to for some residents. Without the hub, the Square is undeniably less congested and more usable as a community park. It’s been used a lot over the last couple of years, including the weekly farmers’ market that is now lined with food trucks. The project isn’t entirely superficial — especially when you consider that there are few places for downtown kids to cool off  in the summer. The water feature means the new park will not just be for the benefit of office workers, but for neighborhood families — a demo that has often been overlooked in downtown “revitalization” efforts.

Check out the video and draw your own conclusions: