Henlopen Facade Falls during Holiday Weekend
Luckily nobody was injured
Rehoboth Beach police were called to the Henlopen Hotel around 7:20 a.m. this past Sunday after a large piece of the building’s soffit suddenly gave way and dropped to the hotel’s first-floor deck. Fortunately, nobody was injured but that entrance remained closed for the rest of the holiday weekend.
Justin Mogavero, the hotel’s general manager, wrote in a statement on Monday that “Yesterday the Henlopen Hotel experienced a malfunction with the cosmetic exterior soffit of the building… As this is a shared space, we worked closely with the City of Rehoboth, Rehoboth Building Inspection Department and Condo Board of Directors to evaluate the damage and remove all debris,” he stated.
He said the hotel’s structural engineer, John Grieshaber from Larsen & Landis, has inspected the property and verified that the damage was “purely cosmetic” and the structural integrity is sound. “We will resume our work with our engineers and the City of Rehoboth to fix the affected areas as soon as possible as we continue to welcome guests to the Henlopen,” he added.
By mid-day, workers had the debris picked up and prepared for repair.
As an odd coincidence, police were called to the adjacent Stuart Kingston Gallery building after a crack opened on the second floor. It was reported just before 11 a.m. on Monday.
Police “coned” off the area beneath the opening until repairs can be made.
