Meeting Scheduled About Future Of Ocean City's Wonderland Pier

In the weeks following the announcement that Gillian's Wonderland Pier would be closing permanently this upcoming offseason, many Ocean City citizens have expressed mixed reactions about the future of the property.

The original announced plan by Ocean City Mayor Jay Gillian was that Wonderland Pier would stay open through October. This would allow people who purchased advanced tickets for the 2024 season to use up their passes before the Amusement Park closes.

One of the historic landmarks of Ocean City, Gillian's Wonderland Pier has been a staple of the Jersey Shore for almost a century. Despite how iconic and beloved the Amusement Park has been for decades, the business has struggled financially over the last few years.

After Jay Gillian defaulted on $8 million in loans in 2021, Eustace Mita of Icona Resorts came to the financial rescue of the popular amusement park. But after 47 years of running the business on the boardwalk, Jay Gillian announced last month he will be retiring and closing Gillian's Wonderland Pier.

Even though Mita owns the property, Jay Gillian has continued as the business operator in recent years. The lineage of Gillians running the business dates back to 1929 when David Gillian first opened the original Amusement Park on the Ocean City Boardwalk. Jay's father, Roy Gillian, passed away at age 94 just two weeks after Jay announced that we were closing the Ocean City Amusement Park.

What Is The Future Of The Wonderland Pier Property

A public meeting has been scheduled for this month where Ocean City 2nd Ward residents will be able to discuss quality of life issues from 4th to 12th streets. Mr Mita, owner of the Wonderland Property, will not be present at this 2nd Ward Public Meeting but is expected to present his plans in the coming months.

A notice about this public forum scheduled for Saturday, September 14th was sent out via the mail to Ocean City Property Owners by Ocean City 2nd Ward Councilman Keith Hartzell. The public meeting will be hosted at the Tabernacle Baptist Church starting at 10 am.

Photo from Google Maps

A longtime property owner and resident of Ocean City's Second Ward (4th to 12th Streets), Councilman Keith Hartzell gave this statement when I reached out to him on Wednesday:

"Our meeting is to discuss all relevant issues in the 2nd Ward, which encompasses 4th to 12th Street between the beach and the bay. Mr Mita owns the Wonderland property, and he has asked for six months to do a full evaluation of the current situation at Wonderland. - He has asked for six months for to do a full evaluation of the current situation at Wonderland. At that time he will present his plans for moving forward."

Even though this is not a Public Forum about the future of Wonderland Pier, and Mr. Mita will not be in attendance, 2nd Ward Ocean City Residents are encouraged to attend the meeting either in person or virtually because there are a variety of issues to be discussed.

For Property Owners who cannot physically be at the Public Forum on Saturday, September 14th, they can join via a Zoom Call. There will also be a Livestream on Facebook where people can watch the meeting hosted at the Tabernacle Baptist Church, located on the corner of 8th Street and West Avenue.

For those who cannot attend the Public Meeting in person at the Tabernacle Baptist Church, the Zoom Joining Information is:

Meeting ID: 963 0882 9089
Passcode: 738001

Quality of Life and Parking Issues have been hot topics in Ocean City over the last several years. Many Residents and Property Owners have worried their beloved Jersey Shore community could be devolving into a Shore Town like the City of Wildwood that is not as family-friendy as Ocean City.

Known as "America's Greatest Family Resort", the Jersey Shore Town of Ocean City has a special place in many locals' and vacationers' hearts. Here are some of the reasons why this South Jersey Coastal Community is so beloved: