REHOBOTH BEACH, DE -- On Friday afternoon, Rehoboth Beach commissioners voted to send a letter of intent to the Clear Space Theatre Company, signifying their desire to enter a public-private partnership with the theatre.
The letter of intent is accompanied by a drafted agreement, which outlines the proposed parameters of the partnership. City officials said most of the points are hammered out, with a few that will be further discussed if theatre leadership decides to move forward with their offer.
The drafted agreement places the theatre's new location on Christian Street, at the location of the current Cape Henlopen Senior Center. The senior center is expected to relocate from that location, with officials stating that they are also looking to expand.
One portion of the agreement outlines that the theatre would lease the land from the city for $1 per year. City officials said the land itself is valued at roughly $7 to $8 million. That lease is proposed for thirty years.
The city would also reportedly donate $1 million to the theatre company's new center. The agreement also suggests ways the city would earn revenue through the partnership, including through metered parking and additional fees on ticket sales.
According to city documents, the new center would equate to roughly 40,000 gross square feet on the parcel. The design is expected to include a proscenium stage, a flexible seating black box theater, public meeting spaces, galleries, and such other spaces as needed for such a facility.
Joe Gfaller, the managing director at the Clear Space Theatre Company, told WBOC they are looking to move locations in order to expand.
"We recognize that there's an extraordinary demand from within our region, not just for performances on stage, but for arts-based learning for both young people and adults," Gfaller said. "We believe that it's our responsibility to meet that need in this region in the best way possible."
Multiple neighbors attended Friday's commissioner meeting in support of the theatre staying in Rehoboth Beach. One of those attendees was Larry Munsey.
"It is imperative for art to be in a community. It makes the community stronger. It makes the community tighter. And I just think it's really important for Rehoboth to have something as great as Clear Space," Munsey said.
Tom Gainer, who spoke at the meeting on Friday, also expressed support for the theatre staying in the city. However, Gainer told city commissioners he is unsure whether they should be spending so much money to do so.
"Make sure that this nearly $10 million investment we are making in a private entity is not another boondoggle," Gainer said. "Frankly, this should be a public vote."
When asked about the difference between the proposed Lewes location and the Rehoboth Beach location, Gfaller said the main difference is ownership of the land.
"In Lewes, that parcel would be a private sale. So, Clear Space would own that land. Any additional support from the city would be an incentive for us to move there," Gfaller said. "In Rehoboth Beach, it would be a lease on city land, so it would be a true private-public partnership between us and the municipality."
WBOC reached out to Lewes Mayor Amy Marasco about the potential sale. Marasco sent the following statement:
"We are staying in contact with Clear Space executives and looking for them to update us on their plans should they want to take the next step with Lewes," Marasco said. "If that is the case, we would hold discussions at a city public meeting."
Rehoboth Beach officials also said that the next steps are in the hands of the Clear Space Theatre's board. Gfaller did not say when a decision on which location they will move forward with is expected.