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OCEAN CITY — Both challengers in the Ocean City mayoral election have thrown their support behind construction of a hotel at the former Wonderland Pier site on the boardwalk.
“A luxury hotel would be a great idea,” Councilman Keith Hartzell said before a large crowd April 28 at the Ocean City Tabernacle.
“To be crystal clear, we need to build a hotel. We need to work with the person who owns the property to get the best solution for what the people of this town want,” Council Vice President Pete Madden said.
While Hartzell mentioned a “boutique” hotel, he was referring to a smaller footprint off the boardwalk as opposed to the plan proposed by Eustace Mita for an eight-story hotel, which Madden supports.
Both see the concept of a hotel at the northern end of the boardwalk business district as key to drawing visitors back to that area, where Wonderland Pier was an anchor for more than 60 years until closing in October 2024. The property was used only minimally in summer 2025.
Incumbent Jay Gillian said the issue should have been resolved long ago. He said council and Mita should have gotten together to work out a compromise on the site.
“The owner, the council need to get into a room and figure it out. If they would have done that from the beginning, we would not be sitting here talking about this and it wouldn’t have divided the city so much,” he said.
Candidates also discussed their top priorities, the work of the Boardwalk Subcommittee, beach replenishment, parking, tourism, taxes, affordability, the resort’s image, BYOB and flooding.
It was a cordial affair, with handshakes and hugs at the beginning and both verbal and physical shows of support throughout the evening.
Opening statements
Gillian, who is seeking a fifth straight term, touted his experience.
“I’ve proven that I get things done,” he said. “You’ll hear a lot of ideas tonight, but leadership isn’t about talk; it’s about what you can actually accomplish. It’s about having the experience to turn plans into results. It’s about avoiding promises that sound good but don’t work and don’t deliver.”
Gillian said the island has changed for the better since he took office.
“Our work is not done, and we will continue to change. With the support of City Council, my administration has accomplished all of this with no-frill budgets, low taxes and absolute fiscal responsibility,” he said.
Hartzell, who represents the Second Ward and long served in at-large position, said he is seeking the top seat to provide for the needs and wants of the community, “ensuring that everyone, all residents, have been heard, acknowledged and acted on in ways that protect our family-friendly values and neighborhoods.”
“Our tradition and our rich culture and our history have made us one of the best places in the world to visit and to live, work and worship. And it’s because of those values that started as a Methodist retreat.”
He said his main issues, which he explained came from going door to door seven days a week, are the former Wonderland Pier site, aka 600 Boardwalk, and parking.
“Things that you told me, things that were important to you became my platform. I will be a strong leader that plans for the future and moves this city forward,” Hartzell said.
Madden, a 12-year member of the governing body who has served as president and vice president, said he would bring responsibility to the position.
“Responsibility to protect what makes this town special, responsibility to make smart decisions about our future and responsibility to put people ahead of politics every time,” he said. “I’m running for mayor because our future demands leadership that takes responsibility, thinks long-term and puts the community first.”
Madden said he believes in progress on the boardwalk — “It’s the heartbeat of Ocean City” — strengthening Asbury Avenue as a year-round economic engine and making the city affordable so seniors can remain in their homes.
“This election isn’t about the past. It’s about where Ocean City goes next,” he said.
What is the first thing you would do?
Gillian said the first thing he would do after taking office is to ensure the beach replenishment work that was recently promised comes through.
“We have a lot of work to make sure that that gets done,” he said.
Hartzell focused more on the long-term.
“The first order of business would be to work on 600 Boardwalk,” he said, noting it is something that has divided the city.
“When the town’s divided, we’ll get together and compromise and find consensus,” he said.
Hartzell said he has been questioning constituents about what they would like to see at the site “that matches our town, protects our neighborhoods and makes us feel like Ocean City.”
He said it is imperative that the community works together to “make something work up there for everyone, that everyone has a voice in it and everybody has a part of it so that we can all be proud of it.”
Madden said he would sit down with the senior staff of the administration and to go over the workforce to “make sure we have the right people in the right positions.”
“For me, it’s all about the people. Whether it’s in your personal life, it’s in your business or it’s in the city. The people are your most important asset,” he said. “The first thing we do is make sure that everybody’s on the same page and we’re starting to move forward together, and then start to meet with City Council to make sure the council, the mayor, the administration, we’re all on the same page, because if we’re not, things don’t get done.”
Do you support the hotel project?
Mita’s plan is for an eight-story, $170 million, 252-room hotel with 10 to 12 storefronts.
Hartzell said he supports keeping the boardwalk as it is, noting that Seventh Street Surf Shop has plans to open two more stores “because they believe in that as a destination.”
“But at the same time, a luxury hotel would be a great idea,” he said, adding that Mita owns two such boutique hotels in Avalon that would be smaller than Mita’s plan at 600 Boardwalk..
“I think it’s something that he’s good at … and I think we can get everything we need, which is a vibrant boardwalk and a great luxury hotel with all the amenities and everything you need to have a great vacation,” Hartzell said.
Madden fully supports Mita’s plan for a hotel.
“It’s been sitting vacant too long and we have a proven brand that’s come into our community looking to invest a tremendous amount of capital,” he said. “So we have to get together to see what’s the best way to do that.”
Madden said it is necessary to have the property deemed an area in need of rehabilitation to move forward.
“Then we can sit down with the property owner to get the best solution for Ocean City,” he said. “It’s imperative that we move forward sooner than later to do that.”
Gillian said the issue should have been addressed.
“We have a passionate city, which is understandable, but that’s why you have policies and procedures and strong leadership would take care of that,” he said.
Do you support the Boardwalk Subcommittee?
City Council President Terry Crowley Jr. appointed a Boardwalk Subcommittee in the fall to review the zoning on the entire boardwalk, not just at the former Wonderland site. It is expected to make its recommendations to council at some point in May.
Madden, who twice voted to request the Planning Board determine whether the property met criteria for being in need of rehabilitation, said it’s “great to get citizens together in a committee to talk about and get ideas” but that the issue must be decided by governmental bodies.
“We need to get it back through the government process. We need to get it to the Planning Board, the Zoning Board, and we need to go through the Master Plan to do that,” he said. “It’s going to be great to get some recommendations from the committee, but they’re non-binding recommendations. So we take that, we listen and that’s what we use to negotiate with the property owner to get the best solution up there and then follow the Master Plan for a further, deeper discussion and investigation into the Boardwalk Zone to get the best solution there as well.”
Gillian agreed that “it’s always good to have a committee and get the community’s advice” but “you’ve got to have a parallel path when getting things done.”
He recommended hiring professionals to study the city’s most popular business district. From his time as owner of Wonderland, he noted the boardwalk has been losing its appeal for decades, in part because of the change in how people vacation.
“I’m sure they’re going to have a lot of good recommendations for the boardwalk but it’s going to take more than just one committee,” Gillian said. “We actually need to bring professionals in to look at the whole boardwalk.”
He noted small businesses in the Garden State are “failing right and left,” noting the challenges of a short season and employees costs.
Hartzell said he supports the subcommittee but it’s the mayor who should be leading the way.
“When you’re the mayor, you’re the CEO, the leader, and you’re the one that takes charge,” he said. “They set the agenda and then they go and sell that agenda.”
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STORY by CRAIG D. SCHENCK/Sentinel staff
PHOTOS by DAVID NAHAN/Sentinel staff