DEWEY BEACH, Del. - For well over a year now, Dewey Beach has been talking about upgrading the current Town Hall and Police Station. Town employees and the police have both said the current building is too small and outdated. While the goal is better conditions for all of the employees in the building, the town manager says the current police station would not meet a state code that goes into effect in five years due to the station only having one holding cell and no indoor sprinkler system.
"Law enforcement is a tough job to begin with, and if you don't have adequate facilities to support your system, with surroundings so they come back to a good environment and they can get their work done before they go back out on the street, it makes that job just that much tougher," explained Bill Zolper, Town Manager.
On September 10th, the Dewey Beach Marketing Committee is going to meet to discuss some ways to fundraise for the project. Back in December 2023, the town considered creating a mural on the side of the new building to raise additional funds by donations from people living in Dewey Beach.
Dewey Beach originally planned to break ground in fall 2024, but at this time, it says there is not an estimated date as to when the construction will start. The town says they are currently waiting to make sure the new building meets FEMA requirements.