Thursday, October 1, 2026 · 7:00 AM ET
Middletown DE 19709 · Odessa · Townsend
Good morning. More houses means more students. This week we look at what Appoquinimink School District is building to keep up, and what it does to one road in particular.
The Build List
Green Giant Elementary: 840 students, 29 acres, fall 2029. Middletown's Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously approved preliminary site plans in June for the new Appoquinimink elementary school, Delaware Public Media reported. The building is about 94,000 square feet and two stories, for grades 1 to 5. Half of the 29-acre site holds the school and parking. The other half is reserved for a possible early childhood center.
The money comes from the 2024 referendum, which raised $77.8 million locally, with about $66.7 million for capital costs, according to an earlier Delaware Public Media report. The developer of the surrounding land was required to set aside the school site, which saved the district the purchase.
If you live nearby, the road matters most. The plan widens Green Giant Road to 11-foot travel lanes in both directions with five-foot shoulders, adds right and left turn lanes at the main entrance, flattens the sharp curve in front of the school, and adds connecting shared-use paths, per the July 1 report. Construction is expected to start around April 2027. Green Giant is one of three schools the district plans to open for the 2029-30 school year, along with Summit High School and Summit Bridge Middle School off Summit Bridge Road, Delaware Public Media reported in June. The site is inside town limits, so the town reviews it. Delaware Public Media said the preliminary plans were headed to Mayor and Council for a vote the following Monday, July 6.
Also on the list
Middletown Mayor and Council meets Monday, Oct 5, 7:30 PM, Town Hall, 19 W. Green St. Council meets the first Monday of each month, per the town's site. Odessa's Mayor and Council meets the same night, 7 PM, Old Academy, 315 Main St., Odessa. Details
Middletown Planning and Zoning meets Thursday, Oct 15, 7 PM, Town Hall. It meets the third Thursday of the month, per the town's site. Odessa's Planning Commission meets the same night, 7 PM, Old Academy. Details
Townsend's Planning Commission took up the town's draft future growth map and comprehensive plan edits on Sept 21, along with its response to the state's PLUS review. Agenda. Town Council normally meets the first Wednesday at 7 PM, Town Hall, 141 Main St., which would be Oct 7, but October's meeting was not posted yet when we checked. Calendar
Mark your calendar: a public workshop on the Southern New Castle County Growth Area land use and transportation study is set for Monday, Oct 26, 4:30 to 6:30 PM, Odessa Fire Hall, per the Town of Odessa. The stated goal is a well-planned transportation and land use environment for southern New Castle County. More on it in a coming issue.
This Weekend
Farmers Market at Whitehall. Friday, Oct 2, 3:30 to 7:30 PM, 735 Mapleton Ave. Last one of the season. Free to browse. Details
Storytime at the library. Friday, Oct 2, 10:15 AM and again at 11 AM, Community Room 1, Appoquinimink Community Library. Songs and stories for kids of all ages and their grown-ups. Free, no registration. Pick up a ticket at the children's desk when you arrive. Details
Arts and Craft Social Club. Friday, Oct 2, 7 to 9:30 PM, Gilbert W. Perry Jr. Center for the Arts, 51 W. Main St. An after-hours gathering for people who like making things. Bring a project or come empty-handed. Pay what you want, 18 and over. Details
Movies at the Everett. "9 to 5" on Friday, Oct 2, and "Hocus Pocus" on Saturday, Oct 3, both at 7:30 PM, Everett Theatre, 47 W. Main St. $8. Friday tickets and Saturday tickets
Middletown Farmers Market. Saturday, Oct 3, 10 AM to 1 PM, 204 E. Main St. Free to browse. Three Saturdays left; the season ends Oct 17. Details
Dog Agility Event: Learn. Play. Connect. Saturday, Oct 3, 10 AM to noon, behind the Wilson-Warner House, Historic Odessa Foundation, 201 Main St., Odessa. Dogs must be at least 2 years old and know basic commands. Suggested donation $10, which benefits the Delaware Veterans Support Association. Pre-register with your dog's size by calling 302-378-4119. Details
Mahjong Mania. Monday, Oct 5, 10 AM to 4 PM, Historic Odessa Foundation, 201 Main St., Odessa. $40, bring your own lunch. Registration was due Sept 30, so call 302-378-4119 to ask about openings. Details
New and Open
Wonder is coming to 455 Middletown Warwick Rd. this month. Wonder, the food hall chain where you can order from several restaurant brands in one order, lists a Middletown location at 455 Middletown Warwick Rd. as coming soon, opening in October 2026, on Wonder's own location list. It will be the chain's second Delaware spot, after The Grove in Newark. Wonder has not posted an exact opening date or hours for Middletown yet.
Same address, still waiting: Potbelly. The sandwich chain picked 455 Middletown Warwick Rd. for its first Delaware location. The franchise owners moved to Middletown in 2019 and, in their words, signed up for four shops covering Delaware and part of Maryland, What Now Philadelphia reported in April. The plan then was to open by late summer. As of Sept 29, Potbelly's own location directory still lists no Delaware shop, and we have not seen an opening reported.
The Housing Number
HOMES SOLD ABOVE LIST PRICE · 19709 · 3 MONTHS ENDING AUGUST
25.1%
About 1 in 4 homes
98.6%
of asking price, on average
28.7%
of listings cut their price
Bidding wars still happen here, but they're the exception. Three in four sellers took asking price or less, and the share selling over list is down 2.9 points from a year ago, while more sellers are trimming prices. Figures cover the three months ending August 2026. Source: Redfin.
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Ask Middletown Weekly
Who approves what? Inside town limits, a project goes to Middletown's Planning and Zoning Commission, which meets the third Thursday of the month, and then to Mayor and Council, which meets the first Monday, per the town's site. Outside town limits, which includes much of what people call Middletown, projects go through New Castle County instead. The Scott Run warehouses from our first issue are one example, as Spotlight Delaware reported. That's why some projects never show up on a town agenda.
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