Resort hotel to replace Wonderland Pier: Developers, residents pack meeting to discuss plans
OCEAN CITY, NJ - For the first time, the public got a chance to see future plans for the former Wonderland Pier in Ocean City Monday.
It’s described as one of the largest private building projects in Cape May County.
Developer Eustice Mita spent Monday night trying to sell residents on his plan for "Icona at Wonderland," a proposed 252-room high-end seaside resort hotel to be built on the site of the legendary Wonderland amusement pier that closed for good in October.
"It’s the biggest investment in Cape May County and the biggest investment outside Atlantic City in history" said Mita, who was invited to give a presentation at the 3rd Ward Meeting at Ocean City Public Library.
The meeting was standing room only.
"It is not appropriate for that section of the boardwalk" said one resident who opposes the new hotel plan.
About a dozen residents spoke mostly in opposition to the project.
"I would ask you to look at the broad vision for the city and not be selfish" said another Ocean City resident.
Some residents say they are worried the beachfront hotel would lead to even more overcrowding and parking issues in the summer months when the weekend population swells.
"For the past 30 years we’ve had development that has just come in and decimated this island" added another resident.
Mita, who spent his summers in Ocean City owns similar beachfront properties in Cape May, Avalon, and Wildwood Crest. He ran through a slide show of shuttered Ocean City hotels that have closed over the years, creating a shortage of hotel rooms. He said with Wonderland now out of business the property is prime for development.
"If the number one support of tourism is hotel rooms. And you lost over, in the last three decades, 70 percent. Then eventually, you will put yourself out of business on the boardwalk," said Mita.
New plans for Gillian's Wonderland Pier revealed; see developer's renderings
A Jersey shore developer is breathing life into an iconic part of the Ocean City boardwalk. After Gillian’s Wonderland Pier closed last month, new renderings of a planned hotel to be built at the site have been revealed.
He says the plan for the "Icona at Wonderland" calls for keeping the iconic ferris wheel and carousel rides to be incorporated into the design of the resort.
Mita also promised to keep the new resort dry like Ocean City.
There are no plans to serve alcohol at the resort.
The property would first need to be re-zoned before getting the proper planning and council approvals. Mita says investing millions of dollars into a seasonal resort is a risk but one he’s willing to take.
"If we call ourselves America’s Greatest family resort than you have to have what makes a resort. The broad definition of what makes a resort, hotels, entertainment and food."
While he’s intent on building the hotel, when asked what would happen if the plan does not get council approval, Mita says he’s willing to listen to other ideas.
However, since he’s already invested upwards of $20 million in purchasing the property and paying off debts, he says any ideas will have to "make sense for Ocean City".
If it gets the green light Mita says construction would take two years to complete.