Arguments Over Wonderland Luxury Hotel Continue In Ocean City

OCEAN CITY, NJ — Things turned nasty at a recent town hall meeting discussing the proposed ICONA in Wonderland luxury hotel on the Boardwalk, with tense exchanges between opponents of the project and its developer, Eustace Mita.

Wednesday's presentation and Q&A was held in-person at the Ocean City Tabernacle and remotely via Zoom, though the latter had some initial technical problems.

The hotel would replace the shuttered Gillian's Wonderland Pier, replacing the amusement park with a seven-and-a-half story hotel. There would be 252 rooms and 375 parking spots. Amenities would include retail shops, pools and a few rides from Wonderland, including the Ferris wheel, carousel and recently-acquired Batman rides.

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

Mita boasted that the hotel, aside from supplying additional hotel rooms, will serve to boost tourism and Ocean City's economy.

It would also have a classic seashore design, modeled after hotels like Disney World's Grand Floridian. But not everyone agreed with that.

"You're going to put a monstrosity of cement and steel on my corner," said a resident who lives on Plaza Place, comparing the hotel to the Berlin Wall, blocking the sun from Plaza Place homes.

"It is certainly not cement and steel," was Mita's response.

"I don't think it's a monstrosity," Mita said. "I think it's a beautiful, landmark hotel."

Another accused Mita of trying to circumvent the zoning process and repeatedly asked if Mayor Jay Gillian was financially benefiting. Gillian owned Wonderland Pier, though Mita entered into a partnership with him in 2021 when the park was at risk of foreclosure.

Mita seeks to label the property a redevelopment zone, which he said would help the hotel get built faster. Going through the normal planning and zoning process could take "years and years and years," Mita said, and at 70-years-old, he said he doesn't have that time left.

The questioning of Gillian's financial benefits clearly upset Mita.

"It's actually not your business, but in the essence of goodwill, I'm going to answer it, which is not something that we receive from you," Mita responded. "The mayor has zero financial gain. The mayor has gone through hell. I think if it wasn't for me coming along and buying [Wonderland Pier], it would have been shuttered four years ago."

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