Ocean City Councilman Wants Empty Storefronts Dressed Up

Keith Hartzell peered through the dust-smudged front windows of the building that once housed Ocean City’s iconic Wards Pastry shop and shook his head in disgust.

“It looks like crap,” he said of the large strands of brown paper strewn on the floor in the empty storefront on Asbury Avenue.

Next, Hartzell walked across Asbury Avenue to the empty building that once contained the Ruth’s Hallmark store, another well-known former Ocean City business. Dust pan and broom in hand, he swept up leaves and other debris that had accumulated in the front doorway.

“I honestly do come over and clean it,” he said while removing the leaves.

Hartzell is a city councilman, not the owner of a cleaning company. But as a councilman, he is adamant about improving the appearance of vacant storefronts, such as the former Wards Pastry and Ruth’s Hallmark shops, until the buildings are occupied by new businesses.

For now, his focus is on the 700 block of Asbury Avenue in the heart of the downtown shopping district. By his count, there are seven empty storefronts on this block of Asbury.

“We need to do something with the windows. We can’t be looking into these stores and there’s crap everywhere. It looks like hell,” Hartzell said during a discussion about the vacant stores at the March 13 City Council meeting.

Hartzell wants the city to approve a new ordinance that would require the owners of empty stores to maintain their appearance until the buildings are rented out or occupied by new businesses.

“People have a responsibility in a community; a responsibility to make your building look good. You don’t have a responsibility to make it look like crap, and they do, and it’s wrong,” Hartzell said at the Council meeting.

“We need to fix it. We need some kind of ordinance to fix it. I’ll do whatever I can to help you. But now’s the time – not last week, not tomorrow, now,” he added.

    The former Ruth's Hallmark shop has been closed for years and its fate remains unclear.
  

In response, Mayor Jay Gillian told Hartzell that the city is considering an ordinance that would apply to all vacant storefronts in Ocean City, not just the ones downtown in the Asbury Avenue corridor.

“We’re looking at all of the businesses, that they just can’t close up and walk away. If there’s an owner there, we want to hold them accountable,” Gillian said.

Gillian noted that Ocean City officials have been looking at ordinances in Sea Isle City and Avalon for guidance.

Hartzell wants the city to talk to owners and ask them to “do us a favor” and dress up their vacant stores in the short term before the city adopts an ordinance.

He is proposing that owners spruce up the empty stores by covering the front windows with a type of sticky wallpaper that resembles decorative brick.

“This is a good start,” Hartzell said in an interview while holding up an example of the decorative, brick-looking wallpaper.

In the long term, he wants a more elaborate window covering, perhaps something resembling a mural. He was impressed after seeing mural-like coverings draped across empty storefronts in Chicago.

To generate some excitement, Hartzell also wants the owners of vacant stores to post “Coming Soon” signs in the front windows to alert the public that a new business is on the way, when that is the case.

Overall, Hartzell stressed that the downtown business district remains strong and desirable for shop owners and renters.

“It’s not because we don’t have a great downtown, because we do. The demand in any other block is always met. We don’t have really any other (vacant) stores in any other blocks and the ones we do are being worked on,” he said.

Caitlin Quirk, president of the Downtown Merchants Association, a group representing businesses on the Asbury Avenue corridor, also said that the downtown remains vibrant.

“I know two friends off island who specifically want to be part of the downtown, but can’t find a place to rent,” Quirk said of the heavy demand for stores.

    Councilman Keith Hartzell shows an example of a mural-like window covering that he wants considered for Ocean City's vacant storefronts.
  

Hartzell owns two buildings in the 700 block of Asbury Avenue housing the 7th Street Surf Shop and the Could Be Yours consignment shop. The businesses are not owned by him.

He said he has taken steps to spruce up the appearance his buildings on the 700 block of Asbury Avenue, as well as another building he owns on Ninth Street.

“Every one of my buildings, I take as much pride as I can because it’s a reflection not only on me but this whole town,” Hartzell said.

Of the seven empty storefronts on the 700 block of Asbury, Hartzell said most of them are in a period of transition – with some preparing to reopen as new businesses.

Among them, he said the Sun Rose bookstore is being remodeled and will reopen, the Pappagallo women’s boutique is being renovated, the former Landmark Church site will be turned into a coffee shop and the former Wards Pastry shop may become a new retail store.

Plans are not as clear for the remaining three empty storefronts on the 700 block of Asbury. The former Ron Jon Surf Shop is looking for a tenant, the former Bike Warehouse is also looking for a new tenant and the old Ruth’s Hallmark shop has remained vacant for about four years, Hartzell said.

“I want people to know that our downtown is strong and remains strong, and we’ll do everything in our power to make sure that it stays that way. That’s something that all of us agree on up her; no question about it,” Hartzell said of the overall robust condition of the downtown business district.

    The Pappagallo women's boutique is being renovated, Councilman Keith Hartzell says.