Last bits of Rehoboth Beach Patrol building knocked down

Pile driving protective metal sheets into ground set to begin March 4

The final wall is down for the old Rehoboth Beach Patrol building. CHRIS FLOOD PHOTOS

Passersby on the Boardwalk take a look at the now-empty site.

With the old building gone, the construction team has begun installing underground infrastructure.

A couple of workers watch as the last bit of roof is removed.

Removal of the building’s public bathrooms began after utilities were disconnected.

The construction of the new facility is expected to take about 18 months.

Sometimes the demo work requires a surprising level of skill. Other times, it’s just taking a big machine and moving heavy items.

The excavator operator gently removes a large section of the roof.

Chris Flood

February 23, 2024

Event Date:

Wed, 02/21/2024 - 11:30 am

The final wall is down for the old Rehoboth Beach Patrol building. CHRIS FLOOD PHOTOS

Passersby on the Boardwalk take a look at the now-empty site.

With the old building gone, the construction team has begun installing underground infrastructure.

A couple of workers watch as the last bit of roof is removed.

Removal of the building’s public bathrooms began after utilities were disconnected.

The construction of the new facility is expected to take about 18 months.

Sometimes the demo work requires a surprising level of skill. Other times, it’s just taking a big machine and moving heavy items.

The excavator operator gently removes a large section of the roof.

Story Location

Rehoboth Beach Patrol
2 Baltimore Avenue
Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971
United States

About three weeks after the ceremonial first swing of a sledgehammer and two weeks after actual demolition began, the old Rehoboth Beach Patrol building has been razed.

The final wall came down Feb. 16. Actual time spent demolishing the structure wasn’t much more than a couple days. The process happened over two weeks to fit in disconnecting all the utilities. The portion of the building housing the beach patrol headquarters was removed first, while the public restroom area remained because that’s where the structure’s electricity was hooked up.

Razing the one-story block building, which was built in the late 1980s, was the easy part. There was a 2-foot-thick concrete slab underneath the building. While the construction team waited for the utilities to be disconnected, it spent a lot of time slowly removing that slab.

With the building gone, the project moves into its next phase – installation of underground infrastructure.

During a commissioner meeting Feb. 16, Interim City Manager Evan Miller said sheet piling installation will begin Monday, March 4.

A few days later, Feb. 22, Rehoboth Public Works Director Henry Matlosz said the corrugated sheets of metal are 25 feet wide and, pending weather, will take about a week to be installed.

It will act as a big retention wall to help with storm surge, he said.

Late next week, in advance of the sheet piles being installed, a large crane will arrive, said Matlosz. The city will have parking restrictions in place along portions of the crane’s route through the city due to the crane’s wide turn angles, he said, adding the city will issue a notice about specifics next week.

In addition to the sheet piling, the construction team is also working to get utilities installed, said Matlosz. The goal is to get as much of the underground infrastructure work done as possible before May 14, he said.

Construction of the new $5 million, two-story facility with public restrooms on the Boardwalk level and beach patrol headquarters on the second is expected to take about 18 months.