Ames thrived outside Rehoboth for decades

The lone remnant of the Ames department store outside Rehoboth Beach is Ames Drive in the Rehoboth Crossing residential development. The once-popular chain opened in 1972 behind today’s CVS and Outback Steakhouse across from the Route 1 intersection with Shuttle Road. After filing for bankruptcy in 2001, Ames closed all of its stores in 2002. The Ames complex remained standing until it was demolished in January 2006 to make way for the 147-unit Rehoboth Crossing development. In May 2003, a nightclub called After Midnight (A.M.) opened in the former Ames space in an attempt to fill the void left when the nearby Renegade club closed in 2002.