REHOBOTH BEACH, Del. -- An iconic corner on the Rehoboth Beach boardwalk could soon go through a dramatic change with the addition of the proposed luxury Belhaven Hotel.
The new Belhaven is a four-story, 115,000 square foot, full-service luxury resort hotel at the focal point of the Beach Boardwalk. The property will have ground-floor retail shops and a 95-space underground parking garage. It will contain 116 keys, a conference center, and a swimming pool on the second floor.
Property owner and developer Alex Papajohn says the hotel would be beneficial to the city.
"We see this hotel as an opportunity to be a catalyst for the revitalization of the commercial core of downtown Rehoboth," says Papajohn.
On Friday, the Rehoboth Beach Planning Commission met with the Belhaven team and stakeholders in the community for a preliminary plan review session.
Planning commissioners raised questions and concerns about a planned loading dock and bar.
Local business owner Alison Blyth of boardwalk restaurant Go Fish! also raised concerns about the loading dock and trash pickup.
Boardwalk property owner Dr. Michael Trahos questioned the floodplain and depth of the hotel's underground parking.
Still, Papajohn remains cautiously optimistic.
"There's still some outstanding issues that we're discussing, but we've got a great dialogue with the planning commission and I think we are going to resolve them," says Papajohn.
The Planning Commission says they will continue their preliminary review process with the Belhaven team. They will then schedule a public hearing before making a final decision.