Rehoboth Beach starts demo season with a dozen notices

Demolition season in Rehoboth Beach resumed Sept. 15. Beginning with houses on Hickman and Munson streets in early August, the city issued 12 demolition notices in advance of the season.

While demos are planned, the remaining two structures of the One Rehoboth Hotel project that fronts the Boardwalk and spans the block between Rehoboth and Baltimore avenues are not included as part of the recent notices. Earlier this year, the former Grotto Pizza location on the Boardwalk and Sirocco Motel on Baltimore Avenue were razed. The buildings that still need to be removed are the longtime home to Dolle’s Candyland and Zelky’s Boardwalk Arcade North, on the corner of Rehoboth Avenue and the Boardwalk, and Kohr Bros. Frozen Custard on Rehoboth Avenue.

GGA Construction is overseeing the building of the hotel. Christina Kelley, GGA business development manager, said demolition permit applications have been submitted to the city. She said the businesses will be out of the buildings by the end of the month. Demolition and relocating the utilities will begin shortly after, she said.

There had been a bit of lull the last few years, but through Sept. 11, the city had issued 25 demolition notices in 2025. Given the pending commercial structures and the likelihood of yet-to-be-known residential structures, this will be the first time in a number of years the number of demolition notices could exceed 30 issued in one year.

Recent demolition notices:

• The city issued a notice Aug. 11 for a one-story single-family dwelling at 327 Hickman St.

• The city issued a notice Aug. 11 for a one-story single-family dwelling and an accessory structure at 311 Munson St. 

• The city issued a notice Aug. 13 for a two-story single-family dwelling and an accessory structure at 9 Rodney St.

• The city issued a notice Aug. 20 for a two-story single-family dwelling at 313 Hickman St.

• The city issued a notice Aug. 20 for a one-and-a-half-story single-family dwelling and an accessory structure at 505 King Charles Ave.

• The city issued a notice Aug. 18 for a one-story single-family dwelling at 56 Henlopen Ave.

• The city issued a notice Aug. 22 for a garage apartment at 215 Philadelphia St.

• The city issued a notice Aug. 27 for a two-story single-family dwelling and an accessory structure at 211 Norfolk St.

• The city issued a notice Aug. 29 for a two-story single-family dwelling and an accessory structure at 113 Norfolk St.

• The city issued a notice Sept. 10 for a two-story single-family dwelling and two accessory structures at 52 Henlopen Ave.

• The city issued a notice Sept. 11 for a two-story single-family dwelling and an accessory structure at 104 Rodney St.

• The city issued a notice Sept. 11 for a three-story single-family dwelling and an accessory structure at 69 Oak Ave.

Notices issued prior to annual moratorium

The last time the Gazette published a story about the city’s ongoing demolitions was before the annual moratorium began May 15, when the notices were issued for the One Rehoboth Hotel buildings on the Boardwalk. Between that story and when the moratorium went into place, the city issued three additional notices:

• A notice was issued April 4 for a one-story single-family dwelling and an accessory structure at 328 Hickman St.

• A notice was issued April 4 for a one-story single-family dwelling and an accessory structure at 114 Rodney St.

• A notice was issued April 17 for a two-story single-family dwelling and an accessory structure at 50 Maryland Ave.

DEMOLITION PERMITS ISSUED IN REHOBOTH BEACH SINCE APRIL 2012

Permits issued annually since April 2012:

• 2012: 14
• 2013: 15
• 2014: 23
• 2015: 23
• 2016: 30
• 2017: 30
• 2018: 27
• 2019: 34
• 2020: 32
• 2021: 23
• 2022: 16
• 2023: 20
• 2024: 19
• 2025: 25, through Sept. 11

Permits issued by month since April 2012:

• January – 24
• February – 24
• March – 44
• April – 16
• May – 6
• June – 3
• July – 11
• August – 74
• September – 42
• October – 39
• November – 29
• December – 19