Alternative Plan Proposed For Wonderland Site In Ocean City

OCEAN CITY, NJ — Those who are opposed to Eustace Mita's proposed luxury hotel, ICONA in Wonderland, have announced their own idea of what should replaced the shuttered amusement park: a family-friendly town square type of place called "Wonderland Commons."

Bill Sterritt, president of the recently-formed Friends of OCNJ History & Culture, shared the proposal at a recent meeting hosted by the group and another group Save Wonderland outlining alternatives to the hotel. You can watch the full meeting here.

READ MORE: Mita Lays Out Plans For ICONA In Wonderland Luxury Hotel

"Wonderland Commons" or "Wonderland Square" is "a combination of both an amusement park, but also a town square," Sterritt said, comparing it to Disney World.

It would "take the Boardwalk to another level," he said.

"So you have rides, but you have a lot of other things to it," he said. "It's a place that people can go to at all times of the day, just to walk around, just to experience the place."

There would be children's rides, a kid's theater, a rotating food truck court, walking paths and a playground.

Also proposed is a bandshell that could be for kids during the day but changed at different times, like to host the farmers market or other vendors, Sterritt said.

He said it could be a spot to bring in day trippers and serve as a year-round venue for Ocean City.

The idea is just a proposal, though, and would need a developer's backing to move forward.

A major concern of ICONA in Wonderland's opponents is that rezoning is needed for the hotel to be constructed. These opponents fear this could lead to more construction of hotels on the Boardwalk and erode Ocean City's family-friendly reputation.

They also fear that a luxury hotel could lead to more families being priced out of Ocean City. Pete Voudouris, representing the Flanders Hotel, said that the loss of a family-friendly attraction like Wonderland Pier will make it harder for hotels to fill rooms.

"We need to bring the middle class back to Ocean City," Voudouris said.