He wants city to take advantage of $3 million gift
OCEAN CITY — City Council Vice President Terry Crowley Jr. wants the city to move forward on a new terminal building at the Ocean City Municipal Airport.
He made that plea during the council’s May 22 meeting.
On Oct. 15, 2024, with benefactor Leon Grisbaum present, city and county officials symbolically broke ground with their gold-painted shovels to build a new terminal to replace the one that dated back to the 1950s.
At the time, officials said actual work would begin some time in 2025 on the $6 million building. Grisbaum is donating $3 million for the terminal building, which will have the airport offices, a pro shop for the municipal golf course next door, a welcome center, restrooms, office and storage space and a restaurant on the top floor that will overlook the tarmac.
Crowley said the city has an opportunity now that it won’t have again — a 50 percent discount on the project courtesy of Grisbaum’s donation.
The councilman from the First Ward said he wants to get the project on the agenda to take advantage of Grisbaum’s gift, which is contingent on the city building the terminal.
Crowley said people live and vacation in Ocean City because of its many amenities and that includes the airport.
“I won’t say $6 million is cheap, but it’s appropriate for what’s needed,” Crowley said. “I feel we’ve drug our feet too long for it. It’s time to vote on it.”
He asked city Business Administrator George Savastano what it would take to get the project on the council’s agenda. “What do we need to do to use Mr. Grisbaum’s generous gift and move on with this?”
Savastano said to proceed the city would have to know there are five votes on City Council to pass the bond ordnance for the project.
“I would not want to bring a bond ordinance forward if there is not five votes. That’s the crux of it,” Savastano said.
He explained there has to be the commitment on the city’s part to fund the $3 million difference on the $6 million project.
“If we’re going to go out to bid on a $6 million construction project, we need to have $6 million available,” Savastano said.
Crowley urged his colleagues to move forward.
There is $3 million allocated for the project in the city’s 2025 capital plan, but council would need to vote specifically on this project to move it forward.
– By DAVID NAHAN/Sentinel staff
At top, city and county officials join Leon Grisbaum to symbolically break ground on a new terminal at the airport in October 2024.