Why Should Delaware Care? There are more than a thousand vacant properties in Wilmington, including the 19th-century Gibraltar estate that for years sat crumbling in the upscale Highlands neighborhood after redevelopment plans fell through. Now, a debate is happening over the city’s purchase and ongoing renovation of the 6-acre property that is using millions of public dollars.
A Wilmington mansion that was once crumbling and hidden behind overgrown foliage has quietly turned into an expensive public preservation project after a city redevelopment entity spent more than $2.3 million in taxpayer money over the past year and a half to purchase and then repair the historic estate.
Another half-million in appropriated public dollars is next to be spent, and the team behind the project, including former-Mayor Mike Purzycki, say even more will be needed from private donors to fully renovate the estate, called Gibraltar…