New Beach Patrol HQ & Comfort Station Coming to Baltimore Ave.

November 1, 2024

Block layers for the first floor are nearly complete. Shoring is being installed for both ATV garages in preparation for the upcoming second floor concrete pour. Beginning next week, shoring will be installed inside the building, also for the second floor concrete pour, which is scheduled to occur later this month. Stormwater and sewer site work continues.

October 11, 2024

The city hosted a time capsule ceremony at the construction site on October 11. A time capsule stuffed with Rehoboth Beach Patrol memorabilia - including uniforms from different generations, whistle, 100th anniversary keepsakes, the July 4, 2024 log sheet, 2021 calendar, Lifeguards for Life DVD, and several photos and newspaper clippings - was installed into the emerging building.

Next week, a concrete pour for one of the ATV garages and a retaining wall will take place. Plumbers and electricians will continue working at the site. Prep work for the second-floor slab, expected to be poured around the end of the month, also will get underway.

September 26, 2024

The first-floor foundation has been poured; several additional concrete pours are scheduled over the next week, weather permitting. The walls are beginning to go up as well.

September 11, 2024

Foundation work for the building has been essentially completed. Site foundation work - for ramps, staircases, and retaining walls - is ongoing. In addition, masonry and concrete first-floor walls are being installed. If weather cooperates, the floor slab for the primary building is scheduled to be poured the week of September 16.

August 2, 2024

Things are beginning to go vertical! At this point, 90% of the foundation concrete piles have been poured. The focus for the next month will be on installing concrete masonry units and associated electrical conduit and plumbing.

July 8, 2024

EDiS, the city's construction management company for this project, presented information to the Board of Commissioners regarding increased costs for the Rehoboth Beach Patrol headquarters and comfort station. The increased costs, totaling approximately $552,000, are due largely to challenges encountered when piles for the structure's foundation were being driven, and workers encountered underground debris and harder-than-expected subsoil surfaces. As a result of these conditions, 131 piles were driven, 40 more than the planned 91 piles. Other cost increases were related to networking and electrical infrastructure as well as installation of seawall sheet piling. The total cost of the project is now almost $5.5 million. At this time, the project remains on track to be completed by mid-May 2025.

June 20, 2024

Construction of wooden forms for the elevator pit and the garage for the patrol’s ATVs are expected to be completed this week. After that, dirt will be backfilled and construction of the main level will begin with more wood forms, rebar installation, and concrete pours. In addition, the north retaining wall will be poured. Concrete pours will continue to occur throughout the next month.

June 7, 2024

Design modifications for the foundation have been finalized. Concrete will now begin to be poured for pile caps and footers. This process will take approximately one month. Once concrete work for pile caps and footers is completed, construction of the retaining wall on the north side of the project will commence, and the concrete pad for the generator will be poured.

May 22, 2024

Foundation design of the facility is being modified to account for new piles and pile locations. It is expected that concrete for the building foundation will be poured beginning in mid-June. In the meantime, the contractor is working to finish setting the stormwater structure and will begin work on demolishing the existing north sidewalk and constructing a new sidewalk and retaining wall.

May 17, 2024

Installation of timber piles has been completed. Foundation construction will now commence.

April 25, 2024

The contractor has run into difficulties in installing the 35-foot wood piles necessary for load-bearing support of the new facility. A little fewer than half of the 86 piles that are part of the original design have been driven to various depths. The piles provide the bearing load for the concrete foundation. The contractor is running into some kind of hard surface. It’s possible that it is some kind of obstruction or it may be dense or hardened soil. A soils engineer has taken boring samples, which are being analyzed.

Next week, a crane and other equipment will be brought in to facilitate installation of the remaining piles. Once more data is received regarding placement and depth of the piles, structural engineers and architects will determine if any additional piles may be required or other modifications needed to achieve the desired bearing capacity. Once piles are driven, the concrete foundation can be poured.

March 28, 2024

Foundation work will continue for at least the next 2-3 weeks. This includes installing timber piles and concrete work. Construction noise should be expected. The sidewalk on the north side of the project is currently closed; the boardwalk can be accessed via Baltimore Avenue from the south sidewalk.

March 14, 2024

Sheet pile installation at the beach patrol construction site has been completed. Work on stormwater installation will resume next week, and foundation work on the main building will begin the following week. Foundation work will include driving piles, bonding, and pouring concrete. Construction noise should be expected at the site at least through the end of this month and likely until the facility begins going vertical.

February 27, 2024

A crane is expected to be brought to the beach patrol construction site Thursday, February 29. Because of the size of equipment being brought in, parking restrictions will be implemented from about 5 am-2 pm at:

• the corner of Rehoboth Avenue and 1st Street
• 1st Street from Rehoboth Avenue to Baltimore
• at either end of the first block of Baltimore Avenue

"No parking" signs will be posted in advance.

The crane will be utilized for sheet pile installation at the construction site the week of March 4 and possibly into the following week. Please note that a portion of the boardwalk will be closed to pedestrians while this work is completed; pedestrians will still be able to walk along the narrowed boardwalk. In addition, sidewalk access to the boardwalk on Baltimore Avenue will be closed while construction is underway during the first part of the March 4 week; sidewalk access will be restored after working hours each day.

Following installation of sheet piles, which provide excavation support, helical piles, which provide structural support, will be installed. Vibrations and loud construction noise should be anticipated on and off throughout the month of March.

February 1, 2024

Demolition of the old facility will take place next week. Increased construction noise and vibrations should be expected in the area. Demolition is expected to take about five days. When initial demolition is completed, about 25% of the old facility will remain in place while workers transition utilities.

Working hours at the construction site are 8 am-5 pm Monday-Friday. During the off-season, work may also take place from 9 am-5 pm Saturdays.

December 7, 2023

The contractor, Delmarva Veteran Builders, has begun preliminary site and utility work. Demolition of the existing building won't take place for several more weeks.

The contractor plans to shift work from one side of the facility to the other over the winter and spring, maintaining public access to the boardwalk and beach on either the southside or northside of the construction site in an alternating pattern. Both sides are anticipated to be accessible during the summer season.