Ivy by the bay demolished, site to turn residential
The longtime bayside bar and restaurant Ivy on Dagsworthy Avenue in Dewey Beach has been demolished, with the space marked to be used for residential purposes.
According to the final site plan, the property is to be subdivided into seven lots, each of which will be about 5,000 square feet, except for a bayfront lot, which will be just under 9,100 square feet.
The seven lots are all marked on the site plan for single-family residential use, which under the zoning guidelines could mean either detached single-family homes or multiple dwelling units in a townhouse, multifamily dwelling or mixed-use structure.
According to Town Manager Bill Zolper, the plan was reviewed and approved by town building officials. The town code did not require the site plan to go to a public meeting.
The Ivy demolition took about three to four days to complete.
Property owner Alex Pires of Highway One LLP declined to comment on his plans for the property.
Pires also co-owns several other popular Dewey restaurants and bars, including Northbeach, which is located next door to the Ivy property, Bottle & Cork, Jimmy’s Grille and the Rusty Rudder. He leases the Northbeach land from the Dewey Beach Lions Club.
Ellen McIntyre is a reporter covering education and all things Dewey Beach. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Penn State - Schreyer Honors College in May 2024, then completed an internship writing for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. In 2023, she covered the Women’s World Cup in New Zealand as a freelancer for the Associated Press and saw her work published by outlets including The Washington Post and Fox Sports. Her variety of reporting experience covers crime and courts, investigations, politics and the arts. As a Hockessin, Delaware native, Ellen is happy to be back in her home state, though she enjoys traveling and learning about new cultures. She also loves live music, reading, hiking and spending time in nature.
