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Wilmington Housing Authority and developers preview Hillcrest Village Phase 1, pledge resident right of return
Summary
Wilmington Housing Authority officials and the Hillcrest development team updated council on Phase 1 of the Hillcrest Village redevelopment — a senior building of 84 units — and said federal shutdown-related delays could push tax-credit closings and construction timelines; the authority emphasized a 'right of return' for displaced residents.
Wilmington Housing Authority CEO Tyrone Garrett told the City Council that the agency’s three-month reserve will carry operations through Dec. 31 but that a federal shutdown could delay HUD approvals and push low-income tax-credit closings into 2026, slowing redevelopment timelines.
Developer Chris Urban Rende (Urban Trends Real Estate Inc.) and consultant Michael Copeland (Land Design) previewed the Hillcrest master plan and described Phase 1 as a senior building with 84 units (about 69 one-bedroom and 15 two-bedroom units) fronting 13th Street. The team said the full site comprises roughly 26.2 acres, about 98 structures and 256 existing units and that later phases will add mixed-income and mixed‑use housing and retail.
"We're trying to hold the status quo, allow residents to remain in their units," Garrett said, adding that tenant protections will be communicated to landlords and that annual rent increases are on hold while the shutdown persists. He said relocation planning follows the Uniform Relocation Act and that the authority will prioritize rehousing existing residents and offer them the right to return to appropriately sized units in future phases.
City council members pressed the development team on unit mix, relocation logistics and certification standards. Copeland said the project will seek a recognized green-building certification or similar standard and that the master-plan unveiling and a public meeting are scheduled for next week to discuss broader phase sequencing and resident engagement.
The team outlined a construction schedule for Phase 1 targeted to begin in mid-2026 with occupancy anticipated by the end of 2027, subject to HUD approvals and tax-credit closings. Garrett noted that while funding for the projects is not expected to be lost due to the shutdown, federal office closures could delay approvals and closing dates.
The presentation concluded with council encouragement that staff and the authority coordinate community outreach and assistance for relocation; the team reiterated that on-site, build-first strategies are being used where possible to limit out‑of‑area relocations.
