Rehoboth Beach Patrol demo is officially underway

With a few swings of a sledgehammer to exterior walls and windows, the ceremonial demolition of the old Rehoboth Beach Patrol headquarters took place Jan. 29.

The actual demolition of the nearly 40-year-old building began Feb. 5. In the week since a small group of current and former lifeguards said their goodbyes, Delmarva Veteran Builders has been doing site work in preparation of demolition.

Unlike the humans, whose sledgehammer swings bounced off the building with little more than a cloud of dust to show for it, the excavator made short work of the one-story cinder block structure.

A couple of days before the demo, Lynne Coan, city spokesperson, said demolition is expected to take about five days. Once the initial demo is complete, about 25% of the building will remain standing while workers transition utilities, she said.

Construction of the new $5 million, two-story facility with public restrooms on the Boardwalk level and beach patrol headquarters on the second is expected to take about 18 months.