Overview
- The Ocean City Planning Board split 4-4 on whether the Wonderland Pier site meets rehabilitation criteria, denying a recommendation and halting next steps.
- Icona Resorts owner Eustace Mita seeks a rehabilitation designation to advance a roughly 252-room hotel at Sixth Street, since current boardwalk zoning prohibits new hotels.
- Council previously voted 6-1 against initiating the review in August before approving it 4-3 in December, and Council Vice President Pete Madden says the board’s advice is not binding.
- Board members sought more evidence of deterioration at the shuttered 94-year-old pier, as nearby merchants report weaker foot traffic since the 2024 closure.
- Mita says he will sell if approvals fail and has reported bids above $25 million from Ryan Homes and the Norcross family, though any buyer would still require rezoning for non-amusement uses.