Rehoboth Beach Main Street to carry on
Rehoboth Beach Main Street is embarking on a soul-searching mission after board members decided to give the program another chance.
In 2016, board members announced the organization, an affiliate of the National Main Street Center's Main Street America network, would dissolve in March 2017. A press release cited a diminished need for the program in Rehoboth “due to the vibrancy of the downtown business district.”
But the Main Street board decided at the end of February they will suspend the pending dissolution after more than a dozen local business owners argued the organization is still needed. Some board members are expected to continuing serving during a transition period to figure out the program's future before new leadership steps in.
“All the board did was agree to suspend dissolution and commit themselves to a transfer,” said Trey Kraus, owner of Carlton's Men's and Women's Apparel and one of the business leaders fighting to keep Main Street in business.
One of the largest obstacles Main Street now faces is funding, since elected officials have stated the city will no longer provide the $30,000 to $40,000 a year it had been giving the group since its inception in 1996. Rehoboth Beach Mayor Sam Cooper said at a Feb. 6 workshop the organization had become too politicized, referencing a 2010 debate regarding noise at local businesses during which Main Street representatives defended certain restaurants during public hearings.
No funding has been allocated in the city's upcoming budget year, which begins April 1, Cooper said.
Kraus said the group fighting to keep Main Street alive plans to donate services, time, knowledge and experience, which includes finding new ways to operate with a smaller budget.
“There's a lot of moving parts, and we've got a lot of people willing to jump in. All we have to do is reach out and ask them,” he said.
The organization will spend the next six to nine months exploring options for Main Street, notably whether it will continue as a nationally accredited program or instead become a commercial district affiliate of the National Main Street Center.
Diane Laird, the state coordinator for the Delaware Economic Development Office’s Downtown Delaware program, said she is pleased to see support from business owners to continue the program. “I think the board is making a good decision to transfer leadership and focus again on some of those more basic needs and desires of business owners,” she said.
The Rehoboth organization is one of six nationally accredited Main Street programs in Delaware, and was recognized in 2009 as one of five recipients of the Great American Main Street Awards, the highest award bestowed through the national program. Laird said Delaware also has about a dozen Main Street affiliates, which she dubbed “Main Street light.”
To retain its national accreditation, the program would require a new executive director; as an affiliate, a paid director would not be necessary and other requirements would be less stringent than for nationally accredited programs.
Business owner and Rehoboth Beach landlord Jen Burton said she's pleased the board changed its mind.
“For a long time, Main Street was a viable, fantastic entity, but I also believe that a transition needs to be made because we need to get back down to the mission of Main Street and work toward supporting the small businesses within city limits,” she said.
“I think it's about more collaborative communication amongst everybody and really putting our brains together and coming up with ideas, being open-minded and coming up with solutions and suggestions,” she said. “I think this is a step forward in the right direction.”
Rehoboth Beach Main Street ran 33 events in 2014, including the city's Fourth of July fireworks celebration, the Christmas tree lighting, the Chocolate Festival and other festivals, concerts and public art projects. The city was expected to take over some of those events, such as the fireworks and tree lighting, while the Harry K Foundation now runs the popular Chocolate Festival; at this time it is unclear which other events will continue.
