Ocean Atlantic to partner with Midway Par 3 on new development

The Ocean Atlantic Companies, one of southern Delaware’s largest developers of single-family homes, town homes and condominiums, has announced the purchase of the Midway Par 3 Golf Course and Driving Range on Route 1 between Rehoboth Beach and Lewes. The golf course will remain open and operated by the original owners, the Moore/Jones family, as it has been since 1980.

In addition, the family has partnered with the Schell family for the development of Beach Plum Dunes, a 144-unit rental apartment complex on the site that will be built on the current location of the driving range. The first building at Beach Plum Dunes is expected to be complete by early summer 2014.

“The Moore/Jones families are very happy that we are partnering with the Schell family in the new Beach Plum Dunes project,” said Paul Jones, one of the Midway Par 3 owners. “My dad [Walt Jones] was very fond of Joe Schell [one of the project investors]; in fact, Mr. Schell’s first job was working for my father at his original driving range close to Rehoboth on Route One.”

Joe Schell has warm memories of working for Walt Jones as well. “In the summer of 1959, when I was 14 years old, I worked behind the counter at Mr. Jones’ driving range, handing out golf balls, clubs and waiting on customers,” said Schell. “One of the many lessons Walt taught me was to trust the people that work for you. Although I was young, he entrusted me to drive the WWII jeep he had retrofitted as a golf ball retriever for the course as well as man the cash register on a daily basis. He was a warm, wonderful mentor to me, and I’m very pleased to be working with his children and family on this new endeavor.”

Beach Plum Dunes will be the first market-rate, professionally managed apartment complex in the Lewes-Rehoboth area, featuring a full-time leasing agent and building maintenance crew, as well as other services typically found in larger markets.

Plans call for each building in the complex to have 12 two-bedroom, two-bath apartments of approximately 1,000 square feet and six three-bedroom, two-bath units of approximately 1,400 square feet. All buildings will have elevators, and most units will have outside storage closets for bikes, beach chairs and other outdoor equipment. Spacious outside decks or patios in each unit will look out over one of three natural scenic vistas - a large fountained pond, old-growth mixed hardwood forests, or the Midway Par 3 golf course.

The complex will have a clubhouse with fitness center, lounge area, pub/game room and leasing office. Other planned amenities include a resort-style saltwater pool with infinity edge overlooking the central lake (Beach Plum Pond), outdoor ledge stone wood-burning fireplace, large paver patio with outdoor kitchen and grill area, a dog park and a walking/jogging trail that runs around Beach Plum Pond and throughout the community.

“Since my mom and dad opened Midway Par 3, our mission has always been to keep our prices low enough so that almost every local family would be able to afford playing the game of golf,” said Barbara Moore, one of Midway Par 3 owners and facility manager. “And, that no matter who you were, young or old, a professional golfer or a beginner, everyone could have fun. I know my dad would be very happy that we are going to continue to run the Midway Par 3 Golf Course just like when it was opened in 1980 - affordable for the average person and the best bang for your buck! Dad would be thrilled that we will be keeping the golf course open while, at the same time, helping provide quality apartments for this area’s residents.”

For more information on Beach Plum Dunes, contact Jill Burton at 302-227-3573 or email jill@oacompanies.com to be put on an interested tenants list. A website, www.bpdunes.com, will be launched by Oct. 1 so interested tenants can register and find information on the project. Interested tenants will be contacted in the order in which they registered when units become available.

For more information on the Midway Par 3 Golf Course, call 302-645-7955 or go to www.midwaypar3golf.com.