The City of Wilmington, the Wilmington Housing Partnership and Little Italy Neighborhood Association announced the Villas of Little Italy project, a new homeownership project to strengthen and stabilize Wilmington's Little Italy community.

Eight townhouses are being developed, two are complete on the site of the former DiNardo's Crab House Restaurant near 5th and Lincoln Streets, and the rest will be on a piece of land directly across Lincoln Street from the former restaurant, once the site of another popular Little Italy establishment called Zappaterrini Bakery.

The Villas of Little Italy" feature three bedroom, two-and-a-half bath, energy efficient homes using a brick façade design and featuring air conditioning and off-street parking.

The six homes on the east side of Lincoln Street will be surrounded by a landscaped courtyard setting. The former Dinardo's restaurant has been gutted and redesigned as two townhouses fronting the west side of Lincoln Street.

The newly constructed homes are priced to sell for up to $250,000.