City of Rehoboth Beach considers mobility center plan

Commissioners discussed the possibility of a Rehoboth Beach mobility center at their February 4 workshop meeting. A public/private partnership for such a development was presented by Colonial Parking and EDiS. A joint venture team comprised of Colonial Parking, EDiS and the City of Rehoboth Beach was outlined. The joint venture team proposed leasing land from the City on which they will design, build, fund and manage a 300-space mobility center. The City and the joint venture team will share in the net operating income of the center. The center will consist of parking spaces, scooter parking, bicycle parking among other mobility resources to serve downtown Rehoboth Beach. As identified in previous parking studies, the parking lot located adjacent to the Rehoboth Beach City Hall and Convention Center represents the best site for a mobility center. According to preliminary estimates, a garage with 300 spaces might cost about $9,950,000. The Colonial-EDiS team proposes leasing the land from the City and funding the development of the center. The City will not contribute any capital funds to or debt for the project. The Parking Committee will review the presentation at a future meeting as well as other potential parking/transportation system upgrades.