(Credit: Ocean City 2050)
The following “Thank you” note to the community was written by the leaders of Ocean City 2050, a local group that had opposed developer Eustace Mita’s plans for a $150 million Boardwalk hotel on the site of the former Wonderland Pier amusement park.
Dear Friends,
As many of you have already heard, last week City Council voted 6–1 against Mr. Mita’s request to have Wonderland designated as an area in need of rehabilitation. Instead, the Council committed to begin a master planning process for the entire Boardwalk – a strategic, fact-driven, and holistic approach that will include broad public input. This is the right step forward.
Mr. Mita has now stated he will abandon his project and put the property up for sale. A group of local investors – people we know well and trust – are expected to make an offer. They have pledged to do the right thing for Ocean City and preserve our family-friendly culture.
When we began this fight, many told us that it was a done deal, that we couldn’t fight City Hall, and that money would rule the day. Thanks to your passion, commitment, and tenacity, we all proved them wrong. It was not a done deal. Money did not rule the day. And in the end, we didn’t fight City Hall – we worked with them and came out with a common mission for the future of our town.
We want to sincerely thank each of you. The last-minute surge of emails and calls made all the difference. Council members openly acknowledged how much they heard from the community and how much importance they placed on that engagement. Your voices shifted the momentum, and it mattered.
A master plan process typically takes one to two years, and while it requires patience, it will help heal the town and build consensus.
In that spirit, we ask that supporters now take down the “Big Mistake” signs and store them safely – hopefully we won’t need them again. But taking them down signals the start of the community coming together.
We are now on the right track. Stay involved, stay diligent, and let’s work together to create the best Ocean City we can.
With gratitude,
Jim Kelly and Bill Merritt
Ocean City 2050
