Wilmington, DE (2009)

Renovation of Queen Theater

Renovation of Queen Theater, creating 260 construction jobs and 50 full-time jobs and helping spur the revitalization of downtown Wilmington.

Investment

  • NMTC Amount: $21,975,000
  • Total Project Cost: $33,913,580

IMPACT

  • 50 FTE jobs
  • 260 construction jobs
  • Rehabilitation of a vacant or under-utilized historic structure.

Investor

Project Description

The Historic Queen Theater anchors the downtown Market Street corridor, which is currently undergoing an intense revitalization. Originally constructed as a hotel in 1872, the 5 story building was converted into a movie and performance theater in 1915, in the process becoming one of the earliest buildings to utilize cast-in-place reinforced concrete.

In 2007 World Cafe Live, a live music and dining venue based out of Philadelphia, partnered with developers The Buccini/Pollin Group and the nonprofit Light Up the Queen Foundation to transform the building back to a live performance venue. The fully restored building opened as World Cafe Live at The Queen Theater in April 2011 and houses a 400-seat live music theater, a separate restaurant and bar with a performance stage, two floors of private event space and a fully equipped WXPN−FM broadcast studio.

While the hosting of live music events by World Cafe Live is the pivotal attraction, a restored Queen Theater is a vibrant and unique destination promoting cultural outreach across the entire region.

MAP

Address: 500 North Market Street, Wilmington, DE 19801

Census Tract: 10003002800

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