The Buccini/Pollin Group recently launched plans to develop several buildings along Market Street; making a total development commitment thus far of over $170 million.

BPG has to date acquired about 28 buildings along Market Street valued at over $29 million, noting. Market Street corridor is a crucial connector of the City's Christina Riverfront and the Central Business District - areas in which BPG has also helped develop with projects such as the one-of-a-kind River Tower at Christina Landing and 500 Delaware Avenue, Wilmington's premier office address for corporate professionals.

The Market Street initiative has a goal of creating 136 new hotel rooms, 200 new residential units, 106,388 square feet of retail space and 36,133 square feet of additional commercial space.

Some of the initial highlights of the Market Street Initiative include:

• Renovation of the historic Queen Theater at 5th and Market Streets as a new live entertainment venue;
• an ultra modern aloftsm by Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. in the former WSFS Bank headquarters at 9th and Market Streets;
• adding an additional floor to the Happy Harry's Building at 9th and Market to create 23 new apartments;
• converting the former China Palace Restaurant in the 800 block of Market Street into six apartments on the top two floors and retail space on the ground floor;
• rehabbing the former 4W5 Café at 5th and Market Streets into a 12-apartment complex with retail on the ground floor;
• and converting the former Café Caribe at 823 Market into four apartments with retail space at the ground level

BPG hopes to complete a majority of its Market Street redevelopment projects in about 18 to 24 months.