Rehoboth eyes November groundbreaking for new City Hall

Rehoboth Beach officials say construction of a new $18 million City Hall could begin this fall.

The city’s plan is to demolish the current City Hall and build on the same site. All major city departments – police, administration, building and licensing and Alderman’s Court – would be under the same roof. Renovations are also planned for the lobby of the Rehoboth Beach Convention Center.

Rick DiSabatino, vice president of contractor EDiS Co., said the firm is preparing two bid packages: one for trailer units for city employees during construction, and one for prep work on the site.

DiSabatino said sitework should be complete at the end of August, with construction starting in mid-November, when city employees would move into temporary quarters. The convention center will be closed during construction.

The project also calls for a new building for the parking meter department and Rehoboth Beach Main Street on the same site as the current buildings.  The parking meter building is expected to be demolished in mid-October, DiSabatino said.

DiSabatino said trucks will haul debris out of the site, raising traffic concerns. Commissioner Toni Sharp wondered if the truck traffic would affect on the annual Christmas tree lighting, but Mayor Sam Cooper said he did not think there so because the event takes place blocks away, near the Boardwalk.

Rehoboth property owners allowed the commissioners to move forward with the project at a June 27 referendum, where the matter passed by 701-544.

City officials plan to get a loan from a local bank to fund the project; once complete, the city will seek a loan from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Development Program. The USDA money comes in after construction is completed, and would come in two payments of $9 million each, which the city would use to pay back the bank and then would owe USDA.

Not discussed was the fate of the city owned property at 306 Rehoboth Ave. City officials have previously discussed selling the property, and EDiS has estimated a sale of the property could fetch $2 million, although the city has not undertaken a formal appraisal.

Still, Cooper was undaunted in wanting to press forward.

"This project is very important to the city's future, and if we don’t do it now, when are we going to do it? That’s where my focus is. To get it done." Cooper said.