An unprecedented public-private partnership transformed blocks of empty, rundown buildings into the vibrant downtown Wilmington enjoys today.
In the late 1970s, DARE (Downtown Area Revitalization Effort) led efforts to save a dying downtown Wilmington. The unprecedented public-private partnership transformed blocks of empty, rundown buildings. Gene Merritt, a DARE founder, has been documenting the efforts that resulted in the vibrant downtown we enjoy today.