REHOBOTH BEACH, Del. - For many in Rehoboth Beach, the Cape Henlopen Senior Center isn’t just a place to gather—it’s a second home filled with music, trips, memories and connection.
But as the senior population grows, so do their needs. Executive Director Linda Bonville says the current facility isn't big enough for all the resources they want to provide and they have about 800 current members.
“We’re trying to keep our senior population alive and active,” said Bonville. “I’ve seen articles about seniors feeling depressed—we don’t want that.”
Bonville says limited parking at the facility and summer traffic are issues the members face too, some of them opting to not visit the senior center until fall rolls back around.
To address those challenges, the center has been planning a major expansion. The proposed project would create a new facility roughly three times the size of the existing one, on six acres of land along Hebron Road.
That new building comes with a price tag: approximately $10 million, according to Bonville, and so far, the center has raised a little over $1 million and is now turning to the state for additional support.
Volunteer and member Linda Schlegel knows firsthand how vital the center can be.
“I didn’t know anybody, didn’t know what to do,” she said. “This brought us out of our shell. Gave us people, new friends—people to do things with and enjoy.”
If funding falls into place, the center hopes break ground by the fall.