Ocean City's blighted Seaspray condos headed for demolition

The days are numbered for the shuttered Seaspray condominium complex, a notorious eyesore that mars the appearance of one of the main gateways into Ocean City.

The real estate company that plans to redevelop the Seaspray property into an upscale 43-unit condominium will demolish the old buildings before the 2026 summer tourism season.

The HOW Group, a property management and real estate company based in Conshohocken, Pa., is under contract to purchase the Seaspray site for nearly $6 million. It expects to close the deal on Dec. 12, a company executive said during a community forum Saturday.

John Pack, vice president of development for the HOW Group, explained that it will take about three years to finish the new condo project. He estimated the completion date at around the third or fourth quarter of 2028.

“What we’re looking to do today is to build a brand new landmark when you come over that bridge,” Pack said of the condo complex serving as a new anchor attraction for the 34th Street entryway into town.

Bringing relief to the residents who attended the community forum, Ward said the HOW Group intends to demolish the hulking Seaspray complex before the summer season.

    The Seaspray condominium complex remains abandoned behind a chain-link fence surrounding the property at 34th Street and Bay Avenue.
  

Details about the HOW Group’s redevelopment plan for the Seaspray site have been leaking out in recent weeks, including the release of architectural renderings giving a sneak peek of what the new condom complex will look like when it is built at the corner of 34th Street and Bay Avenue.

Even more information about the project was released by the HOW Group on Saturday during a community forum organized by Fourth Ward Councilman Dave Winslow, who represents the area where the Seaspray site is located.

The HOW Group has been collaborating with Winslow and other city officials on the project’s design and other elements to give it a “seashore vibe” compatible with Ocean City’s resort atmosphere.

“This is really going to be a focal point when you come into Ocean City,” Winslow said. “The sense of arrival will change from dull right now to ‘Wow.’”

Voting 6-0, Council introduced an ordinance at its Nov. 20 meeting that would designate the Seaspray site as an area “in need of redevelopment” to help speed the project along.

The ordinance will next go to the city’s planning board for review and approval before it heads back to Council for a public hearing and final vote at the Dec. 18 meeting.

    Fourth Ward Councilman Dave Winslow speaks to the residents attending his community forum at the Ocean City Free Public Library.
  

The city would also need to negotiate a formal redevelopment agreement with the HOW Group for the project. The project would also need the necessary planning or zoning approvals to authorize its construction.

The Seaspray complex has been surrounded by a chain-link fence and abandoned ever since it was deemed structurally unsafe in 2024. Red tags were slapped on the buildings declaring Seaspray as “unsafe for human occupancy.”

Seaspray was shut down by the city’s construction official after some concrete fell from the landing of an exterior stairway at the 32-unit condo complex.

The Seaspray buildings date to the 1950s and were originally part of the Seaspray Motel before they were converted into condos in 1981.

The work needed to return the property to a safe condition is reportedly too expensive for the condominium association. Litigation among the Seaspray condo unit owners has resulted in the court appointing a receiver to sell the property. It was put up for sale in 2024 for $7 million. Pack said the HOW Group is paying $5.96 million to buy it.

Renderings of the HOW Group’s project depict an upscale four-story condo building featuring a porte cochere and attractive architectural touches to dress up the exterior.

There will be 79 parking spaces at the ground level. Pack said the 79 parking spaces are the maximum number that the HOW Group could fit into the project.

    John Pack, vice president of development with the HOW Group, discusses his company's plan to redevelop the Seaspray property into an upscale condo complex.
  

The project will include a series of amenities, including a resort-style pool ringed by private cabanas, an environmentally friendly “green roof,” a fitness center, charging stations for electric vehicles and a dog wash area to let owners bathe their pets in style.

The green roof, the first of its kind in Ocean City, will feature an assortment of grass, plants and flowers. It will double as a social setting for condo owners, including shaded areas and barbecue pits in the summer and fire pits in winter, Pack said.

Prices have not yet been set for the condo units. Pack estimated that two-bedroom units would sell in the mid to high $700,000 range and three-bedroom units would go for around $900,000.

Winslow emphasized the importance of having an attractive condo complex in a high-profile location as efforts continue to rejuvenate what is now the aesthetically challenged 34th Street corridor, the second busiest gateway into Ocean City behind the Route 52 Causeway-Ninth Street entrance.

The 34th Street corridor ties in with Roosevelt Boulevard to link Ocean City’s southern end with neighboring Upper Township. The roadway, including the 34th Street Bridge, spans about two miles from Route 9 in Upper Township’s Marmora section to Bay Avenue in Ocean City. The road is under Cape May County’s control, which prevents Ocean City from simply using its own money to give it a makeover.

However, the county is planning to improve the 34th Street-Roosevelt Boulevard corridor starting next week. The $5.8 million project will include a new drainage system and elevating the road to make it less vulnerable to flooding. A new layer of paving will be added.

There will also be new bike paths on both sides of the roadway, as well as new curbs, sidewalks and handicap-accessible ramps.

    Roadway construction and aesthetic improvements are planned to dress up the 34th Street gateway into town.
  

Winslow said the project is expected to be done by spring 2026. In the meantime, he warned that motorists should expect traffic impacts such as lane shifts while the construction work is being done.

“Once the project is done in spring, it will be beautiful. It will be a great gateway into Ocean City,” he said.

Although the roadway construction will be a county project, the city has been discussing improvements that it may make to give the 34th Street entryway a facelift.

New landscaping, decorative LED lighting and the removal of some of the aging signs lining the roadway are part of the 34th Street corridor’s transformation into a more inviting entryway.