The future still remains uncertain for the land long occupied by Gillian’s Wonderland Pier in Ocean City, New Jersey.
Eustace Mita, developer and CEO of ICONA Resorts, shared weeks ago that he proposes building a massive hotel at the site.
Residents gathered inside Ocean City Tabernacle for nearly two hours Wednesday to discuss the proposal and voice their concerns. Mita was in attendance, making his pitch about the project he believes will help revitalize the town.
He claims the eight-story, 250-bedroom beachfront property will generate nearly a million dollars in tax revenue for the city each year and attract 1,000 new tourists every three days.
Get top local stories in Philly delivered to you every morning. >Sign up for NBC Philadelphia's News Headlines newsletter.
The South Jersey developer and Ocean City resident already has hotels in Cape May, Wildwood Crest, and Avalon.
John Waldron, an Ocean City resident, told NBC10 he came to the meeting undecided but left with his mind made up.
“I think there’s advantages to the city having something like he’s planning built on that location. And I’d be in favor of it, I think," said Waldon.
Many locals have been fighting to keep the land an amusement park since Jay Gillian, the owner of Gillian's Wonderland and the city's mayor, announced its closure over the summer.
Mita claims he plans to keep and restore some of the rides, including the iconic Ferris wheel, but that didn't move the needle for resident Dominique Soeldner.
“There’s a lot that goes into living in this town that we appreciate about it and it feels like it’s much more commercial when someone comes in and wants to build a huge hotel and care about the people coming and not the people here," Soeldner told NBC10.
Other residents believe that if approved, the project would help revitalize Ocean City and keep it thriving so shore-goers and residents can keep enjoying the seaside resort town for generations.
“I just think that it’s great for the economy and it’s not going to hurt my rentals," said resident Lisa Hammond.
Mita told NBC10 he plans to keep hosting informational meetings like the one held Wednesday night before he takes his proposal to city council sometime next year.
Sign up for our Breaking newsletter to get the most urgent news stories in your inbox.
