Proposal for Wonderland Pier Site Includes 7-Story Hotel

The developer who now owns Ocean City Gillian's Wonderland Pier has a proposal for the site that includes building a 71/2-story hotel on the Boardwalk site, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Developer Wants Hotel on Ocean City Boardwalk

Eustace Mita, who bought Gillian's Wonderland Pier from Mayor Jay Gillian, has proposed building a hotel and incorporating the amusement park's iconic Ferris wheel and carousel into the development.

Mita, who owns the Icona Resorts in Cape May, Avalon, and Diamond Beach, says the 252-room hotel would be known as “Icona in Wonderland.”

The Ferris Wheel Would Be Moved Ten Feet

According to Amy Rosenberg of the Philadelphia Inquirer, Mita's plan involves saving the Wonderland Pier carousel and Ferris wheel.

The proposal includes spending $1 million to move the Ferris wheel ten feet to the property's north side, raise it, and have new lighting installed.

The total cost of the project could fall between $135 million and $155 million, Mita said.

The carousel would be along the property’s south end. Mita says the rest of Wonderland's rides are in such bad condition that they aren't worth saving.

How Would Icona Circumvent Zoning Rules?

Eustace Mita told the Philadelphia Inquirer that he has not yet formally presented his plan to the Ocean City Council. He has given thought to how he would work around zoning rules barring a hotel from being built on the Boardwalk.

Mita would seek a designation of the lot as a redevelopment zone, which, if approved by the City Council would not require a change to laws that prohibit hotels.

The plan includes 375 parking spots and retail shops along the Boardwalk.

There is no intention to try to change Ocean City's prohibition of alcohol at the property, which would handle booze the way the Flander's Hotel does, allowing guests to bring their own for weddings and events.

Mita's Reasoning for a Hotel on the Boardwalk

In the article, Eustace Mita makes his case for a need for more hotel space in Ocean City, saying that the city has lost much of its exciting hotel space to condos and private homes and there hasn't been a new hotel built in Ocean City in 50 years.

While he has a point, the man's business is building and running hotels. That's what he does. Just like surgeons always want to operate, he sees things through a hotelier's lens.

Many people who love Ocean City have a different vision for the town and the Boardwalk.

It will be interesting to see if Ocean City is ready for Icona in Wonderland.