Date: Ongoing, Opening Tentatively, October, 2025

Rodney Reservoir was a place of community gathering and celebration before it was decommissioned in the 1990s when the reservoir structure was found to be unsafe. In 2010 the surrounding community reclaimed the space as a community garden and started to envision the space as a public park. In 2023, Hinge Collective was selected by an advisory committee of City staff and community members to lead a community engagement process to bring the vision of a park to life. Hinge facilitated design workshops that simplified complex concepts in topography, park operations, and program prioritization.
The resulting community vision for the park prioritizes environmental education and physical and emotional wellness. The park meets the goals of the Wilmington 2028 Comprehensive Plan to “make healthy living the default choice”. It also increases park access for the adjacent neighborhoods of West Hill and Little Italy. They have the lowest acres of parkland per resident in the city.
Forests and wildflower meadows composed of native plants will provide habitat for pollinators and bird species. Interpretive signage and exhibits centered on small gathering spaces will support environmental education and use the park as a living classroom. Urban gardening will continue to be a key feature of the park. Places for foraging from food-producing native plant species will expand opportunities for learning. An open lawn will provide a space for small community gatherings and passive recreation. Residents will enjoy views of the city and beyond from a lookout observation point at the same elevation as the former reservoir.

Team members:

City of Wilmington
Rodney Reservoir Advisory Committee
Meliora Design
Eastern States Construction Service Inc.
CHA Solutions

https://www.wilmingtonde.gov/government/city-departments/public-works/rodney-reservoir