REHOBOTH BEACH, Del. - Demolition of the former Dolle’s Candyland building and neighboring structures along Rehoboth Avenue is expected to begin soon, according to a representative from the Onix Group during a Dec. 12 Planning Commission meeting.
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.)
Demolition notices have been posted on the former Dolle’s building, which previously housed businesses including Zelkys and Kohr Bros. The notice shows a demolition permit was issued Sept. 19, allowing work to begin as early as late October. During the Dec. 12 meeting, city officials told the developer that no outstanding issues were preventing demolition.
Demolition will happen here soon, with no exact date set.
Brooke Thaler, communications director for the City of Rehoboth Beach, added that city officials will meet next week with representatives from the developer and contractors for an updated progress report on when demolition could begin.
Until then, the buildings remain standing, giving visitors and longtime residents a final chance to reflect on what the area once represented.
“I think part of the charm of Rehoboth is that it feels kind of small and family-oriented,” said Dana Feightner, who has been visiting Rehoboth Beach for years.
The developers behind the project include Grotto Pizza and the Onix Group, a commercial real estate firm. Current renderings show Grotto Pizza returning to the site after construction, along with another restaurant, Whiskey Jack’s.
The redevelopment project, known as One Rehoboth Avenue, will replace the former Dolle’s building with a 60-room hotel and retail space on the ground floor at the corner of Rehoboth Avenue near the boardwalk.
The developers behind the project include Grotto Pizza and the Onix Group, a commercial real estate firm. Current renderings show Grotto Pizza returning to the site after construction, along with another restaurant, Whiskey Jack’s.
Some longtime visitors say they recognize that growth is inevitable but worry that too much development could change the character of the beach town.
A couple who has been vacationing in Rehoboth Beach for 15 years said they hope the city avoids becoming overly commercialized. “We don’t want to turn it into Ocean City,” they said. “But it’s progress, so what can you do?”
For now, the former Dolle’s building remains standing as waves crash nearby, offering residents and visitors one last chance to remember what this corner of Rehoboth Beach once looked like before demolition begins.