County council rezones Claymont riverfront to encourage transit‑oriented redevelopment

New Castle County Council on June 24 approved Ordinance 25‑001 to rezone several parcels in the Claymont area from heavy industrial to commercial regional, a change backers say will enable mixed‑use, transit‑oriented development around the newly built Harris McDowell Transit Center.

The ordinance, presented by Councilman John Cartier, covers an assemblage of parcels bounded by Naamans Creek to the north, the Delaware River to the east, Philadelphia Pike to the west and the I‑95 interchange to the south. The proposed zoning would allow residential, office and retail development and is intended to support riverfront park development and higher density near the transit hub.

Supporters, including Brett Sadler of the Claymont Renaissance Development Corporation, told council the rezoning advances the community‑endorsed North Claymont master plan and helps shift uses away…