SEAFORD, DE - Governor John Carney, joined by other state and local officials, announced 3 million dollars in federal funding aimed at cleaning up the abandoned power plant along the Nanticoke River in Seaford Thursday.
Seaford Mayor Matt MacCoy told WBOC the plot of land has been on the radar for years.
"This is the number one property in the city of Seaford that we get asked about all the time, 'What are you gonna do with that old powerplant?" MacCoy said. "Today is the very first step in that process."
That brownfield grant aims to demolish the building, as well as decontaminate the soil and riverbeds surrounding it.
"It's to protect the Nanticoke and to protect the citizens of Seaford," DNREC Secretary Shawn Garvin said. "It's a public health, it's an environmental, and it's an economic investment in the community."
City officials told us this grant money will go towards the first step of their plan to revitalize the riverfront area. After the site is repurposed, city officials said they hope to turn the property into a community space.
While nothing is set in stone, Fisher Architecture LLC. provided WBOC with a rendering of potential ideas for the space.
A rendering of potential uses for the Seaford Riverwalk. Courtesy of Fisher Architecture LLC.
"I know our residents would love to see something on the riverfront that they can enjoy," MacCoy said. "People talk about a restaurant or bar. The opportunities are endless."
City and state officials said they do not have a set timeline for when the work will begin. However, they said receiving this grant is a big step towards the work beginning.
