The Wonderland Plans Are Here, Now What?

We’re back. The second newsletter in four days, but that’s what happens when once-in-a-century change gets put on the table. Let’s get to it!

In the email today:

• 📆 Upcoming Events in (and around) Ocean City

• 🎡 Taking Stock After the Wonderland Plans Reveal

• 🤳 Our Take

• 🗣️ WTB Subscribers Sound Off

• 🚧 West Avenue Repaving Next Week

• 🎄 It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas

• 📜 Historical Museum Celebrates 60th Anniversary

• 🏘️ Venue Change For Third Ward Meeting

• 🔗 News Links

• 🤳 Recommendations

• 📊 Poll For Owners Who Rent

📆 Upcoming Events in (and around) Ocean City

Saturday, Nov. 16

• ❄️ Winterfest By The Sea | Ocean City Civic Center | 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., more details here

Saturday, Nov. 23

• 🛍️ “Earlier than the Bird” Shopping Extravaganza | Downtown | 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., more details here

• 🐴 Horse and Carriage Rides | Sixth Street | 12-3 p.m., more details here

• 🎶 Lucinda Williams and Her Band | Ocean City Music Pier | 8 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.

🎡 Taking Stock After the Wonderland Plans Reveal

We have reached the end of the beginning of the future of Wonderland.

Well, maybe?

If you missed our emergency send with exclusive renderings earlier in the week -- or just need a quick refresh — here are the key cliff notes:

• Eustace Mita — a developer and the current owner of the property — plans to build a $135 million upscale hotel — ICONA in Wonderland — to replace the now-shuttered amusement park.

• He intends to preserve and incorporate the iconic carousel and ferris wheel into the design, with plans to spruce up both and relocate the ferris wheel on the property, turning it sideways.

• The hotel will be 7 1/2 stories tall with 252 rooms and indoor and outdoor swimming pools.

• There will be 375 parking spaces under the hotel and 10-13 retail outlets outside it.

• Mita said the hotel WILL NOT seek a liquor license, but guests will be permitted to bring their own alcohol for weddings and special events.

  • It’s unclear if he will pursue a byo club-like restaurant, the way Dockside Kitchen does.

• The project would take about two years to complete.

OK, so what happens next?

Mita has presented his plan to the Boardwalk Merchants Association, Mayor Jay Gillian and City Council members in a private gathering, and given an interview to The Philadelphia Inquirer. But he technically has yet to make a pitch to the public — something the elected officials leaned on.

Gillian declined comment until the project has circulated among the public.

The attending council members largely echoed him, although the Second Ward’s Keith Hartzell said he is currently against the proposal, citing concerns about a luxury hotel fitting the community and a lack of sufficient parking.

The city has already rejected a past Mita pitch for a Wonderland hotel — in 2021 — but that was before the amusement park closed for good. So the opinions of elected officials — and their constituents — could be different this time around.

As for the business community: BMA President Wes Kazmarck said his group will likely take a formal stance next month, but he did say Mita made “an excellent presentation.” And the Third Ward’s Jody Levchuk said BMA members “seemed very positive to it."

A potential major sticking point: Ocean City’s zoning laws currently prohibit hotel construction on the Wonderland site. Mita wants City Council to formally designate the area as “in need of redevelopment,” which would clear the way to build the hotel (and, Mita said, give the city tax advantages). But that also complicates the politics of the situation further.

🤳 Our Take

Here’s my (Kyle) thoughts on the matter:

A few weeks ago, based on conjecture and a bit of whispered knowledge, I outlined a suggestion for Wonderland similar to the proposal that came this week: hotel, keep the iconic rides, some parking, and retail.

I noted that nostalgia for nostalgia’s sake often impedes progress. Certainly, the city could do worse than Mita proposing a beautiful-looking hotel that is modeled after the famous Hotel del Coronado in California and ergo the Grand Floridian in Disney World (which took its cues from the CA hotel), and which also happens to be in the same color scheme and general motif as the Wonderland Pier amusement park. A new establishment, with a nod to the past and bygone era. Hard to argue with that.

Some are complaining about sightlines, congestion, and even noise. But that’s a really difficult argument to make when the existing establishment was an amusement park. Like, things won’t get louder, or crazier.

For me, the key lies, frankly, in the retail portion of the establishment. Most people reading this newsletter will never actually stay at Icona in Wonderland. But many of us will shop at those retail outlets, dine at its restaurant (presumably there will be a restaurant?), and visit the iconic rides.

3 things I’d like to see:

• The retail shops should be - how do I put this gently? - more upscale than what’s on the rest of the Boardwalk. I’m not talking high-end, but more akin to what you would find on Asbury Ave. or even 96th Street in Stone Harbor vs. another t-shirt shop or chocolate-dipped bacon stand.

• Old-timey hand-dipped ice cream, like we have elsewhere in town but not really on the Boardwalk, or a gelato stand. We don’t need another Kohr Brothers, Dairy Queen, Rita’s, or, gross, a Cinnabon-with-an-Auntie-Anne’s attached— please don’t do that.

• A decent restaurant, with a view. This thing is begging for a 7th floor restaurant looking out on the Atlantic.

Overall, the general public should want to visit the site. Adorning its grounds and lobby with Ocean City nostalgia and memorabilia would be a real home run also.

🗣️ WTB Subscribers Sound Off

Early reviews on the Wonderland proposal have been mixed in this corner of the Ocean City universe. From the poll we ran in our emergency send:

• 46% gave the plan 1 (sideways) ferris wheel out of 3 🎡

• 38% are all in and gave it 3 ferris wheels 🎡 🎡 🎡

• 16% are in the middle with 2 ferris wheels 🎡 🎡

And some of the comments we received:

Beautiful rendering and can’t wait to see this new jewel! The city and the boardwalk especially need to raise the bar.

Disgusting. Let's overbuild and let greed rule the day - it'll change the town. So, so sad to see this.

I like the idea. More hotel rooms, more people to buy more and spend more on the boardwalk as well as in town.

I thank plus welcome any progress into this town. Good things have happened, the expansion and renewal of the boardwalk, the beautiful building that is going up at the ol’ arcade site with playland. Nostalgia was nice with Wonderland but since the property was not a viable business, let the process of getting better happen. Keep the wheel and MGR or not.

7.5 stories!?! Hard stop. No.

Ugh, beaches are too crowded already!! All those people with all those cars!! No thanks!! I am going to have a good cry.

If the orientation of the ferris wheel allows it to be seen as clearly as it is now when coming over the 9th Street Bridge I don't mind reorienting it. The way it is now adds to the grandeur of coming into Ocean City. I hope it will be lit all year long.

The hotel is too big!! Love that he’s attempting to keep some nostalgia but I won’t plan to patronize the hotel.

Build this and we are no longer a family resort. Also there is no space for all those people on the beach. It's a gorgeous building but it belongs somewhere else.

It looks beautiful! As a homeowner in OCNJ, I welcome modernization that honors the beauty and history of the town. This design and even the hotel name does that. We can't stay in the past forever!

🚧 West Avenue Repaving Next Week

The city will repave West Avenue from North Street to Ninth Street starting Monday. Here is the work schedule (weather permitting):

• Monday, Nov. 18: Milling and grading from North Street to Second Street

• Tuesday, Nov. 19: Paving from North Street to Second Street

• Wednesday, Nov. 20: Milling and grading from Second Street to Fifth Street

• Thursday, Nov. 21: Paving from Second Street to Fifth Street

• Friday, Nov. 22: Milling and grading from Sixth Street to Ninth Street

• Monday, Nov. 25: Paving from Sixth Street to Ninth Street

Drivers should use caution with driving through the areas and refrain from parking on the roads from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. during construction. The city is currently in the bidding process to repave West Avenue from Ninth Street to 18th Street; that work is expected to be finished in the spring.

🎄 It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas

Thanksgiving is still roughly two weeks away, but Ocean City is already decking the halls.

• Asbury Avenue is awash in lights, wreaths and garland from 6th to 14th Streets.

• City Hall’s Christmas tree is already up outside, as well as wreaths on every window.

• And downtown businesses are also getting in the (early) festive spirit.

Registration is now open for two annual holiday events: the Ocean City Holiday House Decorating Contest and the Ocean City Christmas Parade.

You have until Dec. 11 to sign up for the decorating contest, which will award various prizes. Contest and registration information can be found here— organizers will publish a list of all participants so community members can enjoy the displays.

Anyone interested in parade participation — cars, floats, walking units, cheer/dance teams or musical acts — must register here by Nov. 29.

📜 Historical Museum Celebrates 60th Anniversary

The Ocean City Historical Museum will hold its 60th Anniversary Luncheon on Sunday, Dec. 8 at the Flanders Hotel from 12:30-3:30 p.m. The celebration will also feature a silent auction and a presentation on the museum’s history. Tickets are $45; more details can be found here.

🏘️ Venue Change For Third Ward Meeting

Third Ward Councilman Jody Levchuk has moved his upcoming ward meeting. It is still scheduled for Monday, Nov. 25 at 6 p.m., but it will be held at the Chris Maloney Lecture Hall at the Ocean City Public Library (it was originally slated for City Hall).

Levchuk will lead an open discussion of issues impacting the Third Ward — which runs from the south side of 12th Street to the north side of 26th Street — and Ocean City at large. No formal actions will be taken.

Tickets and Discounts

🔗 News Links

• Local firefighter assists hurricane recover in North Carolina 👨‍🚒

• Ocean City honors its own on Veterans Day 🇺🇸

• Somers Point man gets 12 years for drug trafficking 🚔

🤳 Recommendations

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📊 Poll Question

Last Week’s Poll Question: For owners who rent their homes: What is one pain point in the process of renting your house or condo in Ocean City?

• Realtor fees and commissions are too expensive (40%)

• Cleaning the property every week (20%)

• None, I have no issues (20%)

• Not enough promotion of my property (10%)

• Do-it-yourself sites (like VRBO or VROCNJ) require too much work (6%)

• Other (4%)

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Thanks! Enjoy the weekend.