New Survey Shows Ocean City Majority Against Wonderland Pier Transformation

Gillian's Wonderland Pier was an iconic Landmark at the Jersey Shore for almost 100 years, one of the most recognizable buildings with the Ferris Wheel in South Jersey.

Ever since Ocean City Mayor Jay Gillian defaulted on $8 million of loans in 2021, that has created an uncertain future for the Wonderland Pier on the Ocean City Boardwalk. The assumption for years is that the current owner of the property wanted to replace the iconic Wonderland Pier.

Eustace Mita is the CEO of Icona Resorts and has been vocal about his desire to convert the once beloved amusement park property into a Resort on the Ocean City Boardwalk. His project has faced numerous delays in getting approvals, and many OC residents have been outspoken against the proposed resort on the boardwalk.

This summer, Mita reopened Wonderland Pier with a refurbished Arcade, the new Ocean City Pizza Company, and Dead End Bakehouse opened a new location on site. Instead of the property being dormant for Summer 2025, they made the right choice to keep the north end of the OC Boardwalk alive.

But Ocean City residents are still unhappy with the future of Wonderland Pier

The Eagleton Center for Public Interest Polling at Rutgers University surveyed Ocean City residents to get a clearer picture of how people view the future of Wonderland Pier.
The results of the survey have been published by the local community group Ocean City 2050:

-78 percent of OC Residents want family-friendly attractions and entertainment instead of Hotel Lodging or Resort Property on the Boardwalk
-38 percent say they are "Very Opposed" to the 252-room resort project that Mita wants to construct at the Wonderland Pier site
-76 percent are concerned about how a new Resort Hotel will impact increased parking demands and 71 percent are concerned about increased Traffic Congestion around 6th and 7th Streets
-61 percent are concerned about there being fewer family-friendly attractions on the Ocean City Boardwalk
-Only 21 percent support the building of a large resort hotel on the Ocean City Boardwalk, and "Hotel Lodging" was the least popular choice for the boardwalk among OC Residents surveyed

The Ocean City Zoning Board and OC Chamber of Commerce have both expressed concerns with Eustace Mita's proposed "Wonderland Resort", which would feature 252 hotel Rooms. The new resort property would also keep the Ocean City Pizza Company and Dead End Bakehouse on the ocean side of the Boardwalk.

In spite of the large public opposition to changes to Wonderland Pier, it seems like this saga will not have a clear conclusion anytime soon.

Ocean City is one of the most popular Shore Towns in South Jersey, and it's family-friendly environment is one of many reasons why this coastal community has been so beloved for over 120 years: