By DONALD WITTKOWSKI
It isn’t made of wood. Nor is it a boardwalk in the traditional sense.
Yet Sea Isle City’s oceanfront Promenade effectively serves as the town’s boardwalk – a hub for sightseeing, shopping, entertainment and recreation.
In fact, the asphalt and concrete Promenade replaced Sea Isle’s old boardwalk after it was reduced to mangled bits of wood rubble by the colossal Ash Wednesday storm that pummeled the Jersey Shore in 1962. Some of the old-timers in town still refer to the Promenade as “the boardwalk.”
Now, Sea Isle is preparing to apply for money from the state’s newly created $100 million Boardwalk Preservation Fund to make the Promenade more inviting to the countless pedestrians, bicyclists, joggers and shoppers who use the 1.5-mile walkway every year.
Mayor Leonard Desiderio said Sea Isle hopes to secure in the neighborhood of $12 million to $16 million in funding for a series of improvements that would include decorative lighting, additional handicap-accessible ramps and the resurfacing of the entire Promenade.
Gov. Phil Murphy signed legislation on Aug. 15 to establish the Boardwalk Preservation Fund.
“From Atlantic City to Asbury Park, for decades our state’s boardwalks have served as iconic fixtures in our shore communities, contributing not just to their local economies but to their unique histories and cultural fabric as well,” Murphy said in a statement after the bill signing.
Desiderio noted that the legislation originally included only wooden Boardwalks at the Jersey Shore, but that state Sen. Michael Testa was able to revise it to include promenades like Sea Isle’s. Testa’s First Legislative District includes the shore towns of Cape May County.
During its Sept. 26 meeting, City Council formally authorized Sea Isle’s grant application to the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs for money from the Boardwalk Preservation Fund.
Desiderio announced at the meeting that Sea Isle is working with the city engineer to prepare the documents needed for the application. The application deadline is the end of October. The city expects to hear by next January whether it will receive any funding.
Sea Isle has been livening up the Promenade in recent years with new decorative lighting, new benches and a new public address system, among other improvements. The Promenade runs along the beachfront from 29th Street to 57th Street.
Desiderio said Sea Isle wants to add more decorative lighting at both the south and north ends of the Promenade with the help of state funding.
The city previously announced plans to build handicap-accessible ramps leading to the Promenade at 51st Street and 53rd Street. Desiderio hopes the Boardwalk Preservation Fund can be a source of funding for the ramps.
Sea Isle will also seek state funding to spruce up the Promenade with fresh asphalt. Desiderio explained that the Promenade “takes a beating” from the weather and heavy use by so many people and needs to be resurfaced.
In addition to the Promenade, Sea Isle also has a quaint wooden boardwalk that overlooks the city’s public marina along the bayfront off 42nd Place. Desiderio said city officials discussed the possibility of whether the marina’s boardwalk would qualify for the Boardwalk fund, but ultimately decided that it is in good condition.
In Cape May County, the towns of Ocean City, Wildwood and North Wildwood have boardwalks that serve as their centerpiece attractions for amusements, dining, retail shops and recreation. Sea Isle and Cape May have beachfront promenades.
Desiderio, in addition to being Sea Isle’s mayor, also serves as the director of the Cape May County Board of Commissioners, the elected body that oversees county government.
He noted that Cape May County’s tourism industry generates nearly $7 billion in annual revenue, and the boardwalks and promenades are a huge part of the shore’s appeal to visitors and vacationers.
