Poll: Majority of Ocean City Residents Oppose Boardwalk Hotel

A majority of Ocean City residents oppose the construction of a 252-room luxury resort hotel on the Ocean City Boardwalk in place of the defunct Wonderland Pier amusement park, according to a new poll released Thursday.

Moreover, the vast majority of residents would instead prefer the development of family-friendly attractions and entertainment, according to the poll results compiled by the Eagleton Center for Public Interest Polling at Rutgers University.

The poll was commissioned by Ocean City 2050, a local community group that is opposed to the hotel and is advocating a competing proposal called “Wonderland Commons.”

Wonderland Commons would be a mixed-use development featuring boutique lodging, a small amusement park, a cutting-edge digital entertainment center and vibrant public spaces coming together in one destination.

“This independent research was commissioned to better understand the wants and desires of the public. It reinforces what we’ve been hearing in our one-on-one and group meetings for months: there is deep love for Ocean City, but also that opposition to the high-rise hotel among residents is strong and widespread,” Jim Kelly, a spokesman for Ocean City 2050, said in a news release Thursday.

Kelly also said the poll results indicate that Ocean City residents want “thoughtful growth, with an emphasis on improving entertainment, dining, and retail options that attract foot traffic and enhance the Boardwalk experience for all ages – not large-scale hotel development that threatens its charm and function.”

According to the poll, strong opposition to the proposed hotel runs deeper than strong support: 38 percent of the residents are “very opposed” compared to 21 percent who are “very supportive.” The poll also found that 15 percent of the residents are “somewhat opposed,” while 23 percent are “somewhat supportive,” Ocean City 2025 said in the news release.

Further, when given the choice between prioritizing more hotel lodging versus more family-friendly attractions and entertainment, residents overwhelmingly selected attractions – 78 percent versus 22 percent, Ocean City 2050 reported.

Ocean City 2050 is part of a grassroots community effort that has labeled developer Eustace Mita’s proposed $150 million "ICONA in Wonderland" Boardwalk hotel a “Big Mistake.”

Leaders of Ocean City 2050 assert that their proposed Wonderland Commons project would be more palatable to the public by mixing together different attractions that would appeal to adults, children and families.

The Wonderland Commons plan would include a smaller, more compact amusement park, a digital entertainment center, public attractions such as a band shell for live music, and a low-rise boutique hotel.

“The Rutgers census confirms that Wonderland Commons offers a path that better reflects what Ocean City residents are looking for,” Ocean City 2050 representative Bill Merritt said in the news release. “As a modern, multi-use Boardwalk village, it not only benefits the public, it benefits the developer as well, making it a true compromise that works for everyone.”

    An architectural rendering depicts the proposed "Wonderland Commons" project by the community group Ocean City 2050. (Courtesy of Ocean City 2050)
  

The poll comes just weeks before Mita is expected to appear before City Council in August to make a formal pitch for his hotel project.

Mita wants Council to declare the former Wonderland Pier site an area “in need of redevelopment,” a classification that would lead to a zoning change to allow construction in a section of the Boardwalk that is currently restricted to amusements, retail shops and restaurants.

Ocean City 2050 said the poll results corroborate the “fear” that many local residents have – that declaring the former Wonderland site as a redevelopment zone would set a precedent leading to similar high-rise hotels “up and down the Boardwalk, changing the very character of Ocean City.”

Residents expressed “deep reservations” about how the hotel would affect daily life and future development along the Boardwalk, according to the poll. The vast majority – at least 70 percent – said they were worried that the hotel would create more parking demand and traffic congestion and were also worried about the project’s height and scale.

A majority of those polled said they feared long-term consequences from the hotel, including changes to other businesses and establishments along the Boardwalk if a zoning exception is approved and fewer family-friendly attractions on the Boardwalk.

When asked what types of venues they want to see on the Boardwalk, the poll found that residents overwhelmingly favored low-rise, inclusive amenities. 

– 73 percent want retail shopping, such as apparel, resort wear, local crafts and handmade items.

– 71 percent want family-oriented entertainment, such as mini-golf and amusement arcades.

– 69 percent want a variety of restaurant and café options.

– 55 percent want outdoor public spaces and arts attractions. 

Lodging trailed these options by a large margin, with small-scale lodging (32 percent) outpacing large hotels (23 percent), according to Ocean City 2050.

    This polling graphic breaks down the percentage of Ocean City residents opposed to or in support of a Boardwalk hotel. (Courtesy of Ocean City 2050)
  

Mita, the owner of the ICONA brand of luxury resorts at the Jersey Shore, wants to transform the Wonderland site with an upscale hotel he would call "ICONA in Wonderland."

Mita acquired the Wonderland property in 2021 for a reported $10 million after Mayor Jay Gillian, who had been the owner, defaulted on an $8 million mortgage and faced a sheriff's sale.

Gillian, whose family had owned Wonderland Pier since the 1960s, continued to operate the amusement park until he closed it down in October 2024 after struggling for years with financial difficulties.

Mita's hotel project has been endorsed by key business groups, including the Ocean City Regional Chamber of Commerce, the Boardwalk Merchants Association and the Downtown Merchants Association.

However, the  Chamber of Commerce attached a number of conditions to its endorsement of Mita’s project. The Chamber wants Mita to seek local input and build consensus for the project while acting as “a responsible neighbor and community partner.”

Among its recommendations, the Chamber wants Mita to conduct a comprehensive traffic study to evaluate and address potential congestion and infrastructure impacts caused by a project of this magnitude.

Perhaps the most intriguing recommendation is the Chamber’s desire for Mita to donate Wonderland Pier’s landmark 140-foot-tall Ferris wheel to the city "as a symbol of goodwill and legacy."

Mita has said he plans to incorporate the Ferris wheel within the hotel complex, along with Wonderland’s historic carousel.

For the summer, Mita has reopened the Wonderland property with a new arcade and pizzeria while he continues to work on his longer-term plan to develop the hotel. Wonderland’s amusement rides have not been reopened.

    Wonderland Pier's landmark 140-foot-tall Ferris Wheel remains idle while tucked behind a closed gate.