Leaders secure $1 million for Dewey town hall

Progress on the new administrative and police municipal building in Dewey Beach continues, as the town recently received a $1 million grant from the state.

Town Manager Bill Zolper said Sen. Russ Huxtable, D-Lewes, and retiring Rep. Pete Schwartzkopf, D-Rehoboth, supported the town’s funding request for the new town hall, police station and paramedic facility in this year’s Bond Bill.

“Without them, this wouldn’t have been possible,” Zolper said.

Previously, the town received $3 million toward construction through the state’s FY 2023 Bond and Capital Improvements Act’s Community Reinvestment Fund. Earlier this year, Sussex County Council signed a memorandum of understanding with the town to release $1 million for the new facility to include a seasonal paramedic station.

With $5 million now secured through the state and county, and $2.3 million pledged by the town, the facility’s estimated $7.3 million price tag has been met. When bids go out, the town will have a better idea of costs, Zolper said, noting commissioners will determine how to source remaining funds if costs exceed projections. 

“This is a no-frills town hall that will get the job done without a big, two-story foyer and staircase and floor-to-ceiling glass windows,” he said. “We are building this without a tax base, so we are limited in the amount of money we have to spend. It will give our employees the space they need, and have previously been denied, to provide services to our residents and visitors.”

The town is currently working with architect George, Miles & Buhr to ensure it meets or exceeds Federal Emergency Management Agency requirements, Zolper said. Commissioner Gary Persinger has been very progressive in ensuring the town works to address sea-level rise, he said, and commissioners may in the future vote to increase the freeboard requirement.

Plans call for the building to go above FEMA and town code standards an extra 2 feet above the current elevation threshold, he said. The building will stay under the town’s 32-foot height limit, he said.

The new building will also be constructed as a Risk Category IV structure, Zolper said. Such buildings are designated as essential facilities that must remain operational during and after major disaster-type events.

“It won’t be a community shelter in a storm, but it will be a municipal command post, so it must meet certain criteria,” he said. “That’s really important because of where we’re located. We want it to be able to withstand a hurricane.” 

The building will be able to withstand 137 mph winds, he said, and must meet minimum snow load and seismic standards, he said. Windows and doors must also meet certain pressure ratings. 

Once the project is ready to go out to bid, vendors will have 30 to 45 days to respond, Zolper said. When bids come back, they will be reviewed by town administrators and consultants before the top several proposals are submitted to commissioners for review.

Zolper said he hopes to break ground before Thanksgiving on the two-phase, two-year project. First, a work office trailer will be installed to the right of the EV charging station in front of the current town hall on Rodney Avenue. Code enforcement employees will move into the trailer; the building for that department, located on Coastal Highway, will be demolished.

Construction will then begin on the administrative and police department facility, whose main entrance will be located on Coastal Highway. Except for a main lobby and offices for the purchase of parking permits and dog licenses, the first floor will comprise the police department. 

The second floor will house administrative offices, the alderman court and a large commissioners/multipurpose meeting room.

Once this section is complete, police and administrative employees will move into the new space, and the current town hall on Rodney Avenue will be demolished to make way for a two-vehicle police garage with a sally port and a third bay for paramedics. The EMS station, including a command post, kitchen and sleeping quarters, will be located on the second floor.

Between the south side of the building and neighboring townhomes will be a green space with a walkway, lined with pavers in a planned fundraising program. 

To view construction plans, go to tinyurl.com/4hs32ryy.