OCEAN CITY — Mayor Jay Gillian shared the planned layout when the city completely renovates the 34th Street Sandcastle Park playground this year and into next year.
He made the presentation at Saturday morning’s Town Hall meeting in the Chris Maloney Lecture Hall at the Ocean City Free Public Library.
The mayor cautioned the people watching that an old version of the layout has been circulating on social media and advised them to look at the current plans.
“I know people like social media for entertainment, but if you’re going there for facts, you’re going to be disappointed,” he said. “When it comes to this city and projects, go to our website” or directly to him or one of the seven City Council members.
“If you want the facts, come to us,” he said.
The city will begin the renovation of the park right after Labor Day. He said they are doing the entire park in a roughly $8 million project, offset by a $3.5 million grant from the Cape May County Open Space Board.
“It will be ready by next summer,” he said.
The plans for the property, between 34th and 35th streets and West and Asbury avenues, include six tennis courts, two basketball courts (one can be a dunk court for special needs individuals), three pickleball courts (which they hope are used by families), a playground that will be double the size of the existing one, a synthetic turf field for various uses, new bathrooms and a small outdoor stage.
Gillian said the city expanded offerings at the playground this summer, hosting family events on Wednesday evenings, including one featuring the Philly Phanatic. The plan is to have more events that can better serve the South End.
“We tried to enhance the neighborhood experience and not just send everybody to the downtown and boardwalk,” he said.
The mayor explained before the work got started they had to ensure they would get the playground equipment, which was ordered months earlier.
Answering questions from the audience, he said the city would save all the pickets and the bricks that feature family and business names that supported the earlier construction of the playground.
“We’ll figure out how to put them back,” Gillian said, acknowledging some have rotted out.
“The playground isn’t up to our standards. There is a word called useful life. It has met its useful life,” the mayor said, thanking the Open Space Board and Cape May County Board of Commissioners for the grant support.
Another citizen asked if the park would be open in phases.
“We want to get the playground done first,” Gillian said. “That’s the most important for families. Then we’ll go from there. If it’s not ready by May 1, I’ll give you Vince’s number.
Vince Bekier, the city’s capital projects and engineering director, said the playground equipment was bought eight months ago and it would be done first, but the city would be working on the entire playground at one time.
– By DAVID NAHAN/Sentinel staff
