REHOBOTH BEACH, Del. - After months of uncertainty surrounding its future in Rehoboth Beach, Clear Space Theatre Company has accepted a letter of intent from the city to begin a public private partnership and remain within Rehoboth.
Managing Director of Clear Space Theatre Joe Gfaller told WBOC earlier this month the theatre company was looking to move in order to expand, with a relocation from Rehoboth Beach to Lewes proposed as one option. The theatre company has been located in Rehoboth since 2010.
On Oct. 17, Rehoboth Beach commissioners sent a letter of intent to the theatre company to enter into a public private partnership in a bid to keep Clear Space within the city. The proposal included a new location on Christian Street, valued roughly between $7 and $8 million, offered as a lease to Clear Space for $1 a year. The lease would be effective for at least 30 years.
A week later, on Oct. 24, Clear Space and Rehoboth Beach announced the letter of intent had been accepted, and Clear Space Theatre Company had committed to remain in Rehoboth.
Officials say Clear Space will enter the lease of 11 Christian Street once the Cape Henlopen Senior Center relocates. Once Clear Space assumes the lease, they will undertake building the first purpose-built performing arts center in Sussex County, according to a joint press release.
The total cost of building the new performing arts center is estimated at about $40 million, with Rehoboth Beach reportedly donating $1 million to the project.
“On behalf of the Board of Commissioners, I am thrilled that Clear Space has selected our offer and plans on staying in the City of Rehoboth Beach,” Mayor Stan Mills said. “Clear Space has always enriched Rehoboth Beach culturally, socially, creatively, and economically. It is a topnotch performing arts center that is near and dear to our residents, visitors, and business owners. We believe it’s a win-win, and we look forward to many more years of our partnership with Clear Space.”
“We are grateful to Mayor Mills for first proposing that Clear Space consider the site at 11 Christian Street back in March 2024,” Joe Gfaller said. “Without his encouragement, the site might not have been explored as one of the nine in our 2024 market study. As our analysis winnowed down our preferred sites, the City of Rehoboth Beach’s staff and elected officials were consistently excellent partners, negotiating fairly and transparently in the interest of the citizens, business owners, and visitors of Rehoboth Beach. We are grateful to them for helping us make this project possible, on a site that had the strongest favorability from the largest segments of our donor and subscription bases. We are deeply grateful to our audiences and supporters in Rehoboth Beach who were also instrumental in advocating on our behalf to the City.”