The Town of Dewey Beach is moving closer to a new town hall and police department.
Groundbreaking for the new facility that will face Route 1 is scheduled in September, and Town Manager Bill Zolper says it will also house the police department and Sussex County paramedics.
"So it'll be a complete complex with the town hall which will have parking, town clerk, building official, town manager, commissioner's room, a police station that will meet the accreditation for the state of Delaware we completed, and then we'll have the paramedics also in the building," said Zolper.
He adds that the paramedic station will allow for quicker responses to Dewey Beach, Rehoboth Beach, Cape Henlopen, and Bethany Beach, dramatically cutting down response time, especially in the summer.
The new Town Hall is expected to cost $7.2 million, and Zolper explains how it will be paid for by the town.
"So the town has 2.3 million in reserves. The state is providing us a grant for 3 million that puts us up to 5.3 million, and then the county because they're going to be housed with us is also providing a million so that gets us to 6.3 million,” said Zolper. “So we're about $900,000 short at this time that we're going to have to make up."
Zolper notes the town will analyze how best to make that $900,000 up including taking out a loan.
He adds the town has outgrown its current town hall. It’s had some flooding problems over the years and they have had to replace several HVAC units. Zolper says the current police station is also inadequate.
