Rehoboth Beach will have a Nativity scene on the main avenue this year, as Grotto Pizza offered its patio space to a local church on Thursday.

The creche could be on display as early as Friday afternoon.

Several businesses called and offered land for St. Edmond Catholic Church after city officials ordered the church on Dec. 6 to take down the creche.

"We decided (Grotto Pizza) would be the best place for it," business manager Yvonne Bailey said. "It’s closest to the boardwalk and where the tree is."

Grotto Vice President Jeff Gosnear wanted to give St. Edmond a space for its Nativity scene, according to marketing director Vinnie DeNatale.

"(Gosnear) just gave them another opportunity since they weren’t able to do it with the city," DeNatale said.

The new Rehoboth Avenue location will be a stone's throw from the bandstand.

The city had ordered the Nativity scene to be removed within days of it appearing by the Rehoboth Beach Bandstand, which is located less than a mile from the church.

According to St. Edmond's, Mayor Paul Kuhns gave the church informal permission to keep the Nativity scene up, with the condition that other religious symbols, such as a menorah, be included in the display. But St. Edmond's was not able to meet the deadline, as the church did not hear back from other religious organizations in time before the creche was ordered to be taken down, Bailey said.

The Nativity scene has "been up in the town for years," Bailey said. "This is the first year we've had a problem."

Kuhns said the Nativity scene has not been on public display in recent years. In early December, Cocco asked him and the city manager about the possibility of installing it at the bandstand this year. Kuhns suggested to Cocco that local religious organizations get together and come up with a display that is inclusive of all denominations.

"We don't want to appear as endorsing any one religion," Kuhns said of the city.

Cocco "chose to believe our suggestion was permission to put it up," the mayor said.

Kuhns said he and the city manager went back to Cocco and told him that while the suggestion may have been misconstrued as authorization, "We did not give you permission to put it up."

"It got blown out of proportion," Kuhns said of the city's orders to have the Nativity scene taken down within days of it being installed.

Adds Kuhns: "One of the questions I always had was why the church didn't just display the Nativity scene on their property."

Other local businesses and the chamber of commerce reached out to St. Edmond's about using space on their properties for the creche.

"It was a very generous offer of Grotto Pizza to the catholic church," Kuhns said. "I think that's very fair."

Hosting displays from a variety of religions at the bandstand next year may be a possibility if other organizations want to participate, Bailey said, adding that the church has received several phone calls from businesses, residents and people outside of Rehoboth Beach.

"It's been amazing," she said of the community's support.

Background:Nativity scene supporters back church in Rehoboth Beach battle

More:'This PC attitude has gotten ridiculous.' Church told to remove Nativity in Rehoboth