First Church of Christ Scientist in Rehoboth to be razed

The First Church of Christ Scientist building on Bayard Avenue in Rehoboth Beach has been sold and there are plans to demolish the structure.

According to Sussex County property records, the property was purchased Feb. 14 by STELLAZ2 LLC for $2.75 million. The LLC has a Harrisburg, Pa., address. A message was left with the phone number associated with that address, but no one called back. 

The First Church of Christ Scientist structure sits at the corner of Bayard Avenue and Norfolk Street. It was established in 1956 and is a branch of The Mother Church in Boston, Mass., established in 1879.

The city’s building and licensing department issued a demolition permit the same day it was sold. A demolition notice for a one-story place of worship ran in the Feb. 20 edition of the Cape Gazette. The notice says demolition cannot begin before Saturday, March 16.

A different entity, STELLAZ1 LLC, purchased the vacant lot next door to the church on Bayard Avenue the same day as the church lot, also for $2.75 million. Both LLCs share the same Harrisburg address.

The church property is 100 feet long on Bayard Avenue and 150 feet long on Norfolk Street. The additional lot on Bayard Avenue is 50 feet wide and 100 feet deep.

It’s unclear what the future plans are for the property. City code would allow for the church lot to be subdivided into three smaller lots, for a total of four lots. All four lots are zoned R-1 residential.

There’s an annual moratorium on demolition in Rehoboth Beach that runs May 15 to Sept. 15. The church is the first demolition notice issued by the city in 2024. Historically, the busiest months for permits to be issued are August, September and October. 

DEMOLITION PERMITS ISSUED IN REHOBOTH BEACH SINCE APRIL 2012

Permits issued annually since April 2012:

• 2012: 14
• 2013: 15
• 2014: 23
• 2015: 23
• 2016: 30
• 2017: 30
• 2018: 27
• 2019: 34
• 2020: 32
• 2021: 23
• 2022: 16
• 2023: 20
• 2024: 1, through Feb. 29

Permits issued by month since April 2012:

• January – 24
• February – 20
• March – 31
• April – 12
• May – 6
• June – 3
• July – 9
• August – 62
• September – 39
• October – 39
• November – 26
• December – 17