Rehoboth group looking to facilitate move of senior center

In an effort to jump-start a capital campaign that would help facilitate a new home for the Cape Henlopen Senior Center and possibly help keep Clear Space Theatre Company downtown, a group of interested individuals in Rehoboth Beach has scheduled a cabaret in the convention center for the end of November.

Separate from each other, the Cape Henlopen Senior Center and Clear Space have been looking for new homes for many years. It’s an inverse situation for the two organizations: The senior center has the land, but not the funds to build, while the theater has the funds, but no land.

The senior center was established in 1966, and has been at its current location since 1981. In the early 2000s, the senior center was given 6 acres of land on Hebron Road as part of an extension of that road. The lot sat essentially untouched for nearly two decades, but in late 2022, trees were removed, curb cuts were installed and other work was done. Now, there’s a need for funding after more than $2 million worth of previously promised federal funds were no longer available.

The theater began operations in 2004, and has been in the old Epworth United Methodist Church property on Baltimore Avenue since 2010. In 2018, the theater began the process of trying to build a new home on three Rehoboth Avenue lots, but that didn’t come to fruition after years of pushback from neighbors concerned about parking and other issues. More recently, Clear Space conducted a market study to find a new home. The study produced two locations – the senior center property and a privately owned piece of land within the city limits of Lewes. 

The senior center property is located on city-owned land off Christian Street. In late 2024, in an effort to keep a presence downtown, city officials agreed to pursue a public-private partnership with the theater. The senior center property, which is on a triangle-shaped lot that comprises a parking lot, the senior center and the Anna Hazzard Museum, was eyed as a suitable location.

Looking to facilitate all the moving parts, an informal collection of individuals began meeting in May to figure out a way to move the senior center so Clear Space can remain in Rehoboth.

During a meeting of that group in mid-August, Greg Murphy, senior center board president, said the senior center recognizes it needs to get off the city-owned property and it wants to. The Hebron Road property is paid for, the land is ready for construction to begin and the new facility will allow the senior center to expand its services, he said.

Commissioner Mark Saunders, who serves as the city council liaison to the senior center, said everyone wins if they can figure out a way to get the senior center the necessary funding to move to Hebron Road. The center can expand its services to seniors, the theater can expand its services to its customers and the city can expand the amount of parking downtown, he said. As part of the proposed public-private partnership, the city would gain an estimated 44 spots with a new arrangement at ground level.

In an effort to cut costs, Murphy said the size of the senior center has been reduced from two floors to one, eliminating the need for elevators and stairs. The projected cost of the new senior center is now about $13 million, which is down from $20 million, he said.

The plan is to do a phased construction, with $5.8 million being the cost of the first phase, said Murphy. The first phase would still be a third larger than the existing senior center, he said, adding that he’s pushing to get shovels in the ground by 2028.

The cabaret, scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 20, is the first event of the capital campaign, said Murphy. The center is trying to build a case for support because the needs for the area’s seniors are much greater than they were 60 years ago, he said.

Joe Gfaller, Clear Space managing director, is a member of the informal group. He’s said the theater understands the complexity of the issues with the senior center and the theater is willing to be flexible on a timeline. 

Active negotiations are continuing, and Clear Space is interested in seeing progress toward a resolution on the senior center, but the theater can also work within the proposed timeline, said Gfaller.

Linda Bonville, now executive director, has been with the senior center for 46 years, and she said she’s not retiring until the new facility is built. There’s much more the senior center would like to offer, but there are limitations because of size and parking, she said.

The city continues to show interest in a partnership with the theater. A special commissioner meeting has been scheduled for Monday, Sept. 8. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss the possibility of offering a right of first refusal for the lease of the Cape Henlopen Senior Center property, 11 Christian St., to Clear Space, and to consider authorizing City Manager Taylour Tedder to prepare such an agreement.

Tickets and sponsorship opportunities for the cabaret, which will feature entertainment from Clear Space actors, heavy hors d’oeuvres, beer and wine are available on zeffy.com.

For more information, go to capehenlopenseniorcenter.org, email lindachsc@aol.com, or call 302-227-2055.