The Playtex manufacturing facility operated for nearly six decades on the banks of the St. Jones River in Dover, Delaware. Formerly known as International Latex Company, this site holds significance in its community, both economically and geographically. After closing the factory’s doors, the site sat desolate for several years. As part of the Brownfields program under the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, the former manufacturing facility was remediated for future development. Even with remediation, the site’s future looked bleak as several developers considered the site, but did not follow through.
However, in 2017, Capital Station Dover, LLC set-out to write the Playtex Site’s next chapter. Their goal was to create Capital Station, a 65,000 gsf shopping center comprised of 5 buildings, including strip retail/restaurant space, pad retail/restaurant space, and a grocery anchor to bring life back to the economic hub.
The developers looked to the expertise of Becker Morgan Group to lead the project and complete site redevelopment. By utilizing point cloud technology, Becker Morgan Group’s survey department produced 3D documentation of the existing site. This technology played a pivotal role in providing accurate and consistent data to the entire project team on the otherwise dangerous site. Designing a site plan that would welcome customers and promote business was not the only task for Becker Morgan Group’s civil engineering department. They would also need to coordinate with the Delaware Department of Transportation to redesign surrounding roadways and circulation patterns to accommodate increased vehicular and pedestrian traffic to the site.
By applying current standards of health, safety, and welfare, Becker Morgan Group was able to make significant improvements to area infrastructure. These enhancements accommodate the site’s resurgence as a commerce center in Dover, Delaware, achieving the goals of the developer and the community.
Becker Morgan Group was awarded the 2020 American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) of Delaware Engineering Excellence Honor Award for the Capital Station redevelopment project. The ACEC of Delaware recognized the project for the technical expertise exhibited and the socio-economic impact the project has had on the Dover, DE community. Becker Morgan Group is proud to have played a role in this impactful project.
Becker Morgan Group provides comprehensive Architecture & Engineering services with offices in Delaware, Maryland, and North Carolina. For more information, visit www.beckermorgan.com.
