Clear Space Theatre Company and the City of Rehoboth Beach have agreed to create a public-private partnership to redevelop city-owned land into a new performing arts center, the theater announced Friday.
The CSTC board of directors formally accepted the letter of intent from the city on Oct. 23, wrapping up an 18-month process for site selection for its new performing arts center. With the agreement, Clear Space commits to remaining in Rehoboth Beach, where it has been based since 2010.
Based on the terms of the letter of intent, Clear Space will enter into a land lease of 11 Christian St. after the Cape Henlopen Senior Center relocates to its next home outside the city limits on Hebron Road, according to the announcement. The senior center has been a tenant on city land for 45 years but was gifted land to expand its operations and will move after the completion of a capital campaign. At that time, Clear Space will begin a lease of up to 50 years. The land, valued at $7.2 million, will be made available to Clear Space for $1 per year.
The new performing arts center will include a proscenium mainstage, a flexible seating black box, a rehearsal studio, an expanded lobby, concessions, backstage facilities, and gallery space, according to the announcement. Parking will be provided on-site.
“On behalf of the Board of Commissioners, I am thrilled that Clear Space has selected our offer and plans on staying in the City of Rehoboth Beach,” Mayor Stan Mills said in a statement. “Clear Space has always enriched Rehoboth Beach culturally, socially, creatively, and economically. It is a top-notch performing arts center that is near and dear to our residents, visitors, and business owners. We believe it’s a win-win, and we look forward to many more years of our partnership with Clear Space.”
“We are grateful to Mayor Mills for first proposing that Clear Space consider the site at 11 Christian Street back in March 2024,” said Clear Space Managing Director Joe Gfaller. “Without his encouragement, the site might not have been explored as one of the nine in our 2024 market study. As our analysis winnowed down our preferred sites, the City of Rehoboth Beach’s staff and elected officials were consistently excellent partners, negotiating fairly and transparently in the interest of the citizens, business owners, and visitors of Rehoboth Beach.”
The total cost for the new performing arts center is approximately $40 million, according to the announcement, with a national RFP process for the project’s architect coming soon along with community forums for residents and audiences to follow in 2026.
The development ends years of contentious debate about the location of the new theater complex. In 2021, The Rehoboth Beach Board of Commissioners voted for the second time to overturn a decision by the city’s Planning Commission to approve plans by Clear Space to build a larger theater and an adjacent rehearsal theater in a new downtown location.
Supporters of the project expressed outrage at the time over the Board of Commissioners’ 4 to 3 vote to reject the Planning Commission’s approval and deny the Clear Space application to build its proposed new theaters on Rehoboth Avenue, which serves as the city’s main commercial boulevard. The controversy led to speculation that Clear Space could relocate outside of Rehoboth to Route 1 or even to nearby Lewes, Del.
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CAMP Rehoboth, the LGBTQ community services center serving Rehoboth Beach and areas across Delaware, has announced that Kim Leisey, who has served as its executive director since July 2023, will step down to retire at the end of January 2026.
“The Board of Directors has expressed deep gratitude for Leisey’s leadership and confirmed that she will continue to work with the Board and incoming leadership to ensure a smooth and seamless transition,” the organization said in a Sept. 17 statement.
Leisey, who holds a Ph.D. in Human Development, served for 30 years in the field of student affairs and facilities management at the University of Maryland Baltimore County before beginning work as CAMP Rehoboth’s executive director. Her position immediately prior to starting at CAMP Rehoboth was Senior Associate Vice President for Student Affairs at the university.
At the time of its decision to hire Leisey as executive director, CAMP Rehoboth noted that she had been a resident of nearby Lewes, Del., since 2020 and a Rehoboth Beach visitor since the early 1990s. The board hired Leisey shortly after CAMP Rehoboth’s previous executive director, David Mariner, resigned to start a new Delaware LGBTQ advocacy group called Sussex Pride.
The board noted the change in leadership came at a time when the COVID pandemic presented challenges to the organization’s operations and during an organizational transition period to reassess and expand its programs that began prior to the pandemic.
CAMP Rehoboth Board President Leslie Ledogar said in the statement announcing Leisey’s retirement that when the board hired her in 2023, it was confident her 30 years of experience in her prior career as a University of Maryland official would make her the right person to advance CAMP Rehoboth’s mission.
“Thanks to Kim’s steady leadership, her commitment to our mission, and the fact that she truly is a ‘champion for all things that help humans to thrive during their lifespan,’ she leaves CAMP Rehoboth well positioned to emerge from a time of uncertainty to one of strength, with the capacity we need to serve our community for decades to come,” Ledogar said.
“It’s been a privilege of a lifetime to serve in this role,” Leisey said in the statement. “Together we built something I am proud of, including strengthening a high-performing leadership team, deepening a culture rooted in integrity and excellence, and delivering strong, continuous financial performance.”
The statement said a search committee, to be chaired by Board President Ledogar, will be formed in the coming weeks to begin the search for a new executive director.
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**Comings & Goings**
The Comings & Goings column celebrates professional successes in our community. We want to recognize those landing new jobs, new clients for their business, joining boards of organizations, and other achievements. Please share your successes with us at [email protected].
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**Gallery 50 Exhibit: Three Artists Unite**
Three artists—Gary Fisher, Charlie Jones, and Glenn Fry—began their careers sharing studio space in D.C. They have now united for a show at Gallery 50 in Rehoboth Beach, Del.
There will be an opening reception where you can meet the artists on Friday, Aug. 29, from 5:30–8 p.m. at 50A Wilmington Ave. The exhibit runs through Sept. 17.
– **Gary Fisher** has exhibited at Gallery 50 before and is a well-known, respected artist living full-time in Rehoboth Beach for many years. Active in the community and a supporter of many charitable causes, Gary works primarily in his studio and gardens, creating vibrant and evocative oil paintings that express the beauty of the natural world. His focus is the coastal environment—its sunrises and sunsets—and the light that reflects off wetlands and bays.
– **Charlie Jones** is a self-taught abstract painter with more than 25 years of experience working in mixed media. His artistic path is unconventional, rooted in a lifelong commitment to exploring creativity beyond formal boundaries. His art is personal, yet global, shaped by decades of travel across continents, where he immersed himself in diverse cultures, customs, and human experiences. These journeys inform the core of his work, which radiates with vivid color combinations, energetic textures, and bold yet nuanced transitions. At the heart of Charlie’s process is an exploration of the intersection between color, texture, and form. He blends a wide array of materials and techniques to create layered compositions that invite viewers into a contemplative space. Charlie resides full-time in Rehoboth Beach.
– **Glenn Fry** is a visual artist based in D.C. specializing in silk screening for the last 20 years. His influences range from a childhood love of coloring books and cartoons to his appreciation for vintage aesthetics. Glenn’s artistic style comprises various elements, including photography, illustration, painting, and screenprinting. Glenn said, “This series is all about love. The collage stylization is representative of the many various parts of each of us and as a collective. We each bring our own unique qualities to the world, and we are each wonderfully made.”
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**CAMP Rehoboth’s Sunfestival Features Comedian Zach Zimmerman**
When CAMP Rehoboth invited comedian and author Zach Zimmerman to headline its annual Sunfestival fundraiser, it became the moment Zimmerman realized it’s possible to make a living making people laugh.
CAMP Rehoboth, an LGBTQ community center in Rehoboth Beach, Del., is hosting its annual Sunfestival fundraiser over Labor Day weekend on Aug. 30 and 31.
Opening act Corey Andrew and headliner Zimmerman spoke with the Washington Blade ahead of the events.
Corey Andrew is a singer, songwriter, comedian, and media personality and part-time resident of Rehoboth. After opening for Sunfestival last year, Andrew was asked to return for a 15-minute set. He described his upcoming performance as heartfelt, passionate, and fun.
“I want to leave them with a little something that prepares them for the big dance party that happens on the following night,” Andrew said.
The following night, DJs Robbie Leslie and Joe Gauthreaux will perform at a dance party at the Rehoboth Beach Convention Center.
Being an LGBTQ artist has influenced Andrew’s work. When he was starting out, there were not as many examples of out artists. Andrew loves sharing his story about overcoming adversity, finding his true voice, tuning out the noise, and being the best you can be.
“I’ve been doing this for a long time, and the majority of the early years were rife with a lot of difficulties,” Andrew said. “Just by being myself and really accepting who I was, all that informs my creative choices. I’m a gay Black man. That’s what I know. That’s what my art will reflect, and to try to be anything else would not be true to my art.”
Looking ahead, Andrew said his dream is to perform with the professional orchestra Delmarva Big Band.
Comedy is a powerful art form that brings people together in a physical space, said Zimmerman, who is working on new material for Sunfestival.
Zimmerman strives to be vulnerable about the stories told in his performances and said that when we share wants and needs in a vulnerable way, the community can show up.
“What a blessing it is to be able to reflect on life and to make a job out of reflecting on life,” Zimmerman said. “So do it because you’re interested in it, stay with it because you believe in it, and give up when it hurts too much.”
Sunfestival is about the end of summer and a chance to reflect on all that has happened with a final night of fun, Zimmerman added.
After the fundraiser, Zimmerman will go on tour in the fall and is writing a second book.
“Comedy can disarm people. It can welcome them in. Everyone loves to laugh,” Zimmerman said. “I think comedy can and has changed the world for better or for worse.”
Tickets for Sunfestival can be purchased at camprehoboth.org.
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