Gillian Accuses State of Hurting Wonderland Pier

Mayor Jay Gillian lashed out at state government regulators Thursday for making it more difficult for him to keep Wonderland Pier in business during his financial struggles with the historic Ocean City Boardwalk amusement park.

Wonderland closed for good last Sunday amid lingering financial troubles in recent years, including Gillian defaulting on an $8 million mortgage that nearly caused the amusement park to go up for sheriff’s auction in 2021 before it was saved then by an investor.

In remarks during an Ocean City Regional Chamber of Commerce legislative luncheon Thursday, Gillian accused the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs of being far too harsh in its oversight of the amusement park industry.

“One of the biggest issues we have in the amusement industry is this state is putting us out of business. It’s difficult. You talk to Morey’s and Storybook Land and everybody. It is unbelievable,” Gillian said while referring to other amusement parks in South Jersey.

“They don’t care,” he continued in his criticism of the state. “And I know that sounds horrible. And I hate talking about that or the governor or anybody because of the politics. But New Jersey is in a very serious position right now.”

    With his wife, Michele, standing next to him, Mayor Jay Gillian tells the Chamber of Commerce luncheon audience of the difficulties he encountered from the state in operating Wonderland Pier.
  

As an example of the difficulties he has experienced with New Jersey regulators, Gillian recounted that he once spent $100,000 to try to get an amusement ride open, but met serious resistance from the state.

“I did everything the professionals said. Structural engineer, all the paperwork. I took it up to the state of New Jersey and the engineer up there said, ‘You know what, Jay, I need this done, you need to do this.’ He started telling me that my engineer didn’t know what he was talking about and they knew better. That is scary,” Gillian said.

Gillian indicated that the state failed to take into account his family’s extensive experience in the amusement park industry. His late grandfather, David Gillian, founded the family’s amusement business in Ocean City 94 years ago. His father, Roy Gillian, who died in August, started what became Wonderland Pier at Sixth Street and the Boardwalk in 1965. Jay Gillian was the third generation to own his family’s amusement business.

“You think of 94 years on the Boardwalk and I can’t get rides open because people are telling me, ‘You’ve got to do this, you’ve got to do that,’” Gillian said of state regulators. “Here in Ocean City, when people come, we help them, we get them open. And that’s what I’m most proud of between Council and I. We never turn people away. We always help people.”

    From left, Mayor Jay Gillian accepts a state proclamation honoring Wonderland Pier from Assemblyman Antwan McClellan and Sen. Michael Testa.
  

At the luncheon, Gillian was presented with a proclamation from state Sen. Michael Testa and state Assemblyman Antwan McClellan honoring the Gillian family and Wonderland Pier.

The audience responded with applause and a standing ovation for Gillian. Standing by his side was his wife, Michele Gillian, who serves as the executive director of the Chamber of Commerce.

McClellan, who lives in Ocean City and is close friends with Gillian, fought back tears while presenting the proclamation.

“Thank you for everything you’ve done for me, this city, this county and this state,” McClellan said to Gillian. “Your family business is unbelievable. Your family’s unbelievable. I love you. I appreciate you.”

McClellan and Testa were the featured speakers at the Chamber of Commerce luncheon. Part of their remarks to the Chamber members criticized the state government for allegedly not doing enough to support New Jersey’s small businesses.

    A fence blocks access to the Wonderland rides, including the towering Ferris wheel.
  

The loss of Wonderland Pier has sent shock waves through Ocean City’s business community. Questions remain about the future of the sprawling amusement park property overlooking the Boardwalk at Sixth Street.

Following Wonderland’s closure, work crews have painted over the Wonderland logo on one side of the building, along with two whimsical cartoon-like toy soldiers that served as photo-ops for the amusement park’s visitors.

The gates have been closed on Wonderland’s Boardwalk entrance to block access to the property. A fence has closed off access to the rides on the Sixth Street side of the park.

In an interview after the Chamber luncheon, Gillian explained that the painting work and the removal of old signs are being done as part of Wonderland’s post-closing cleanup.

“Wonderland is over,” he said with finality.

    Work crews begin painting over the Wonderland logo and two cartoon toy soldiers on the side of the building. (Facebook photo courtesy of Bob Wiggins)
  

The property and rides are now owned by developer Eustace Mita, the owner of the Icona luxury resorts in the Cape May County beach communities of Avalon, Cape May and Diamond Beach. It was Mita who invested in Wonderland in 2021 to prevent a sheriff’s auction of the financially troubled property.

Gillian said the money that Mita invested in Wonderland went toward paying off debts. He noted that Mita gave him three years in 2021 to try to turn Wonderland around. Ultimately, he couldn’t overcome Wonderland’s financial struggles.

Mita has told city officials that he needs six months to study the Wonderland property before coming up with a redevelopment plan. In 2023, Mita proposed building a $150 million luxury boutique hotel on the site, but failed to win support for the project from Gillian and other elected officials.