Big Upgrades Coming to Wildwood After New Redevelopment Plan Approved

Since the early 1900s, the Wildwood Boardwalk has been one of the top attractions for visitors to the Jersey Shore. For over 100 years, the approximately 2.5 miles of boardwalk has connected three municipalities with numerous entertainment attractions, eateries, and specialty shops that are across from the beach.

From the iconic Tram Car running along the boardwalk to Amusement Parks, convention center events, and some of the most famous pizzerias in South Jersey, the Wildwood Boardwalk sees hundreds of thousands of people spend time each year.

But changes to the business landscape in The Wildwoods combined with dated infrastructure has set the stage for necessary upgrades. That is why City of Wildwood officials unanimously approved a redevelopment plan to modernize the downtown business district, and infrastructure around the boardwalk.

What you need to know about the Wildwood Boardwalk Redevelopment Plan

A couple of weeks after Cape May County Board of County Commissioners approved plans to purchase land in Wildwood for the construction of a multi-story parking garage, one of the final hurdles has been cleared to allow for this and other redevelopment projects.

Improving Parking adjacent to the Wildwood Boardwalk is one of the main objects of this redevelopment plan. As stated in the 41 pages of the redevelopment plan, one of the primary goals is to create more "availability of convenient visitor parking." The plan is to allow the construction of multi-story parking garages on the island over the next two decades.

By allowing adjustments to the height of buildings constructed in the City of Wildwood, officials are opening the door and incentivizing:

*Building of new hotels near the Wildwood Convention Center
*Converting surface lots into either multi-story parking garages or new multi-purpose business properties that will include elevated parking lots
*City officials want to "Reduce the negative impacts of off-street parking" by creating more areas for visitor and customer parking so there is less traffic congestion and overlap with residential parking
*Encourage the construction of new residential properties that have parking garages or levels as part of these new buildings
*Create a framework to make it easier to revitalize vacant properties

As noted by other media outlets, nothing in the new Redevelopment plan allows for any public or private entities to seize residential or business properties. The new framework allows more flexibility for upgrading local infrastructure and redevelopment of properties around The Wildwoods.

No timetable has been set for the construction of new multi-story parking garages or new hotel properties.