REHOBOTH BEACH, Del. - Whether you're walking on the boardwalk or riding your bike, you’ve likely passed the barricades on Rehoboth Avenue and wondered: What’s going on with the One Rehoboth Avenue Hotel and what’s next?
The project, approved by the city in January, will bring a four-story hotel to the corner of Rehoboth and Baltimore avenues. Plans include 60 hotel rooms, ground-level retail, and restaurant space.
Brooke Thaler, communications manager for the City of Rehoboth Beach, said if the remaining demolition permits are approved, a 30-day public notice period will begin before further demolition moves forward. That work could start as soon as late October.
Earlier this summer, the former Grotto Pizza building a longtime boardwalk staple was demolished as part of the project’s initial phase. According to city officials, demolition permits were officially submitted on Sept. 15 for the remaining structures involved, including the former Zelkys and Dolles buildings.
"I’ll be honest, I’m an old-fashioned person, and I liked the good old days before all the lights and bells and whistles," said Anne Mosher, who owns a summer home in Rehoboth.
The One Rehoboth Avenue Hotel will feature 60 rooms, retail, and dining in a four-story building. Some locals are nostalgic for the past, while others welcome change. Demolition permits are filed, with remaining work possibly starting soon. (Rehoboth Beach Documents.)
The developers behind the project include Grotto Pizza and the Onix Group, a commercial real estate firm. According to current renderings, Grotto Pizza is expected to return to the location, along with another restaurant, Whiskey Jack's.
Local resident Sandra Batterden said she is optimistic about the hotel’s future impact.
"Construction takes a lot of time, so people need to be patient," Batterden said. "But there will be a payoff in the end."
Brooke Thaler, communications manager for the City of Rehoboth Beach, said if the remaining demolition permits are approved, a 30-day public notice period will begin before further demolition moves forward. That work could start as soon as late October.