A higher education center project known as “The Bridge” in downtown Wilmington continues to move toward becoming a reality.
The Community Education Building (CEB) recently hosted a public discussion session detailing a planned project to transform part of the vacant Bank of America complex into a higher education hub.
While CEB already hosts K-12 education programs in an adjacent building, the new project will bring Delaware State University’s nursing program to Wilmington, as well as Widener University’s Delaware School of Law.
Delaware Law School Dean Todd Clark said the new location would result in a 71% reduction in space, but one faculty member asserted that the move would be more beneficial to Wilmington’s growth in the long run. .
“After visiting the CEB, he said, ‘I’ve been looking at this the wrong way. This is not how this will benefit Delaware Law School. , how Delaware Law School can serve the Wilmington community and be an agent of change, and I am excited to be a part of this experience,” said Clark. .
Lyne Johnson of the economic development nonprofit Grow America said her organization is supporting The Bridge from a financial and real estate perspective, but also sees the hub as a novel investment. .
“Nowhere else in the country do we have an HBCU, a land-grant university, and a law school all in one campus area from K-12 to high school, with such centralized management and community connections.” said Johnson.
DSU and Widener Delaware Law will join the University of Delaware’s Associate of Arts program, which is already housed in the Community Education Building, but will move to the new space.
The project comes with a $60 million price tag, but with the Wilmington City Council’s recent approval to allocate $10 million to the project, it appears all the necessary funding has been secured.
Bank of America plans to donate the building, known as Bracebridge II, worth an estimated $10 million, to the Longwood Foundation.
The state provided $10 million in the FY25 bond bill and plans to provide another $13 million in funding. New Castle County pledged $5 million, Longwood and other grants pledged $10 million, and corporate providers provided another $10 million.
UD, DSU and Widener will then lease space from Longwood.
CEB chief operating officer Tamara Morris said securing the building was still a work in progress, but a new website with up-to-date information about the project should be completed by the end of the year.
The bridge is expected to bring more than 2,000 full-time students, faculty and staff to downtown Wilmington and generate $250 million in annual economic impact for the state. If all goes according to plan, the complex is expected to open in fall 2027.
