Commercial projects moving forward at Rehoboth Mall
Two commercial redevelopment projects at the Rehoboth Mall shopping center continue to take shape, most notably with a new Chase Bank nearing a mid-December opening.
The bank is located on the Route 1-facing corner lot that used to hold a Pizza Hut, which was demolished earlier this year to make way for the new bank. According to signage on the bank’s front doors and drive-up banking options, the bank will open Tuesday, Dec. 12.
When complete, the new 3,293-square-foot Chase Bank will be the first in Sussex County. J.P. Morgan Chase officials announced in 2019 a plan to open 10 to 12 new branches in Delaware.
On the opposite side of the shopping center, the renovation of the former Peebles location into a Grocery Outlet continues to take shape. Most recently, signs were hung on the exterior walls announcing the discount grocery chain’s impending arrival.
There are no other Grocery Outlets in Delaware. There are two on Maryland’s Eastern Shore – Salisbury and Elkton.
It’s unclear when the store is expected to open, but it doesn’t appear to be anytime soon. Looking through the fence blocking the main entrance shows a still-empty floor area. A building permit issued by Sussex County is hanging in one of the windows. It says the estimated cost of construction is $900,000. The permit was issued Sept. 18 and expires Sept. 17, 2024.
Grocery Outlet officials have not responded to multiple requests for further information.
Chris Flood has been working for the Cape Gazette since early 2014. He currently covers Rehoboth Beach and Henlopen Acres, but has also covered Dewey Beach and the state government. He covers environmental stories, business stories and random stories on subjects he finds interesting, and he also writes a column called Choppin’ Wood that runs every other week. Additionally, Flood moonlights as the company’s circulation manager, which primarily means fixing boxes that are jammed with coins during daylight hours, but sometimes means delivering papers in the middle of the night. He’s a graduate of the University of Maine and the Landing School of Boat Building & Design.
