Cleanup Time For Major City Parking Lot

Welcome back! Steven Spielberg is filming his latest film — reportedly a UFO flick — in Cape May next month. And there is a casting call for extras if you are interested.

Go Birds. 🦅

Also, if you haven’t already, please take our first annual reader survey here. It will help us make Walking The Boards the best possible community for Ocean City lovers in 2025.

In the email today:

• 📆 Upcoming Events in (and around) Ocean City

• 🅿️ City Council Plans Parking Lot Facelift

• 🐶 Big News For Ocean City’s Dogs

• 🏦 Republic Bank Building Is For Sale

• 🔗 News Links

• 🤳 Recommendations

📆 Upcoming Events in (and around) Ocean City

Saturday, Feb. 15

• 🏃 Winter Warrior Challenge | Ocean City Civic Center | 9 a.m. start, more details here

• 🌲 Nature & Environment Family Fun Day | OCHS | 9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m., more details here

• 🎭 Professional Broadway Series | Ocean City Music Pier | 3 p.m., more details here

See more local events right here.

You can see the full list of events in all nearby Shore towns with the following links: Ocean City | Sea Isle | Margate | Avalon | Stone Harbor | Somers Point | Wildwood | Cape May | Ventnor

Also note the Ocean City Library has many events for adults and kids alike on their calendar, which can be viewed here.

🅿️ City Council Plans Parking Lot Facelift

The city-owned parking lot at 16th Street and Haven Avenue is getting a tune-up.

Mayor Jay Gillian said the space next to the Ocean City Community Center will see aesthetic improvements this summer. The short-term plans include adding sidewalks, planting grass and removing unneeded items and materials. The city will then come up with a long-term vision. Advertising for city contracts was approved.

The move comes after Ocean City saw what Gillian called a "favorable" conclusion to its long-running legal battle over two related properties acquired through eminent domain in 2021. A Superior Court jury ruled the city owes previous property owner Palmer Center LLC a $7.2 million payout for property at 16th Street and Haven Avenue and related land at 109 16th Street. Interest payments could push the total payout higher, but the final bill is not expected to be substantially larger.

City officials previously said they would seek remediation payments to clean up the sites -- part of the plan to create a block of open public land near the community center -- but it is not clear if Palmer Center will be asked to pay for the parking lot upgrades. Palmer Center owner John Flood, a former city councilman and mayoral candidate, has suggested he could fight the jury's verdict and that cleanup responsibilities remain undetermined.

🗣️ Town Hall Meeting To Discuss Budget

There will be a town hall meeting to discuss the upcoming municipal budget and plans for capital projects over the next five years. It will be held at the Ocean City Tabernacle on Saturday, Feb. 22 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

🐶 Big News For Ocean City’s Dogs

City Council has set the stage for a potential new hotel in town.

No, not that one. And this one would be for canines.

A recently-passed ordinance could lead to dog daycare facilities opening in Ocean City for the first time.

Dog breeders, kennels and pet stores are currently prohibited by city law, and that will not change. The new ordinance creates a path for a daycare provider to secure a zoning variance and receive a mercantile license. But City Solicitor Dorothy McCrosson said it would be a "heavy lift” for any business to get the variance. The proposal was drawn up after a company or individual expressed interest in opening a dog daycare business in the otherwise extremely pooch-friendly town, but details have not been released.

The ordinance passed on a 4-2 vote with one abstention (Council President Pete Madden for undisclosed reasons). Councilmen Keith Hartzell and Jody Levchuk said they voted no because they feared the ordinance as written could create a loophole for a puppy mill to gain licensure. McCrosson said that is not possible.

🏦 Republic Bank Building Is For Sale

The now-empty Republic Bank building at Ninth Street and West Avenue is on the market with a listing price of $2.4 million.

The glass facade building initially posted a request for letters of intent, but has since shifted to a traditional real estate listing. The building has marble floors and a high-security vault; the listing said it can continue to be used as a bank or converted for commercial, office or retail space.

The location closed last year after Fulton Bank acquired Republic and shuttered the Ocean City branch. The FDIC technically controls the property until the sale to a new owner goes through. City Council President Pete Madden, who is a real estate broker, previously suggested the city buy the building — which is close to City Hall. But he said he no longer feels that makes sense.

📝 Take Our First Annual Survey

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Please take our first annual survey— it will help us better tailor future content, plan events, work with local partners, and so much more.

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🔗 News Links

• City Council tables wireless towers ordinance for revisions

• Taking a closer look at pedestrian safety

• Thousands expected for autism awareness fundraiser in Sea Isle City

• OCHS principal recovering after car crash

• An amazing Inauguration Day for OCPD officers

🤳 Recommendations

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Our long dormant, but soon to be revived, Jersey Shore real estate newsletter:

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Thanks! Enjoy the weekend.