Riviera gets unanimous approval - PICS

[JerseyDigger29]

Hey, all - Remember you heard it hear first.

The Wildwood Zoning Board held a special meeting today at 4 pm to formally consider the breathtaking dual-tower project, the Riviera Resort Hotel. Board members all seemed quite impressed with the beauty and scope of the massive project and gave it a unanimous approval, although board member Dorothy Gannon was not present and President Bud McGrath had to recuse himself due to a conflict.

With this approval (the 5th condotel so far), the Riviera will easily become the largest so far in total area: Two side by side buildings in one massive complex, each sporting 25 stories and self-contained onsite parking garages.

In general, the Riviera will mirror all of the others in regard to specifics: five or six floors each of indoor parking below huge residential towers which will feature condos, townhouses and traditional hotel rooms. Like most of the others, it will also have an indoor pool on one building and an outdoor pool on the other, spa, restaurant, healthclub, concierge, valet, etc.

Full details will take more space than I can use here so look for the formal stories to appear in the papers later this week. But here are a few:

374 total units devided between both buildings (257 condos/townhouses and 117 traditional hotel suites). Retail stores on the ground floor along Atlantic and Ocean Avenues.

I must warn everyone that I think it's possible that the final design may change in the end, because according to the blueprints, the current design is built around several neighborhood properties that still haven't been acquired. The developer said they are still negotiating with neighbors, so be aware that the final design could be bigger and slightly different. (If this happens, the same thing happened with the Wildwood Beach at Burk and Ocean when it finally aquired the Days Inn and the Cork and Bottle).

One building will be approximately square and the other will be L-shaped. The square shaped building will have a unique residential tower that will be tilted or turned on a 45 degree angle.

The Riviera will be located between Atlantic and Ocean Avenues, and between Youngs and Spicer Avenues. So far, the Skylark Motel on Atlantic is not included in the project, nor is the Calypso. Calypso owner Lester Katsanis said that he has been approached by the Riviera developers to purchase his property but so far they haven't come up with a price.

Below are two pics I took of the current design. I apologize for the quality since I had to take them leaning up against a wall and very quickly because the developer's architect was reluctant to show them due to possible changes down the line in design and/or color.

I forgot to ask, but since the top picture shows a building in the background, I think these pictures are of the Ocean Avenue side, looking at them from the boardwalk.

Thom

TheWildwoodsReporter.com

[MMM]

Thom, the building in the second picture looks quite different to me than the buildings in the first picture, at least to my eye. Could you maybe explain a bit more?

I like what I see so far in the first picture, especially those neat looking (relatively) little builings around the base. The building in the second picture looks too much like an office building to me...

[thelastresort]

in either event, these new places are pretty amazing, much better than the blah condos. it will be quite a different look, especially when one is used to the ocean towers being the tallest buildings for the last 35 years.

On a different note, despite all this enthusiasm, I wonder if they really will be able to make a go of it. Namely, is there really that many people who want to visit south jersey in the summer to be able to fill up all five of these types of places?? And what a substantial investment (I assume $25M and up?) for a property that can only be used maybe 6 months out of the year at best. who is going to go there in december? I guess whoever is making the decisions knows a helluva lot more than me, since the numbers just don't seem to work.

[FlyinGN]

I agree last.. Way better then the condos..

[wildre]

Thanks Thom.
Amazing pictures. Guess it will take some time for us to get use to these, when they are built. I remember I couldn't imagine the Convention Center on the beach, even while they were building it but you know I'm use to it now. Think it fits in, hopefully I'll have the same reaction eventually with these.
They sure beat the condo look, adds interesting elements especially along the coastline.

What conflict did McGrath have on this proposal?

Thom what kind of camera do you have? It takes fabulous pictures.

re

[JerseyDigger29]

I'll try to address the concerns of the last three posters the best I can.

1) The little buildings around the base of the towers are parking garages. There will also be retail stores in the first floor along Atlantic and Ocean avenues (A possibility: Winterwood Christmas Shop on Ocean Avenue apparently isn't included yet in the project. I think I heard they are still negotiating with the developers. Maybe they will eventually become one of the stores within the Riviera. I don't know yet.

2) Yes, the second building picture does look different, but only in color. I mentioned that the architect was reluctant to let me take these pictures because they might change slightly in design and/or color. These are preliminary architectural renderings to give people a "general" idea of the design - the final project might be slightly different, although generally they will look like this. (I think I was the only reporter there to get these pictures by the way - "proud, proud, wink, wink").

3) On the question of whether they can financially make it through the summer season and the price: The price of just one building averages $250 million plus. When all these condotels eventually open the tax ratables of the City of Wildwood will skyrocket and everyone's taxes will eventually go down.

And I think you've missed an important point somewhere along the way over the last couple of years. There are two main reasons why these kind of hotels are being built: (1) to replace all the lost hotel rooms from all those demolitions islandwide. And (2) to support the convention center year round and for the FIRST time in the history of the Wildwoods, to keep this place open YEAR ROUND. With these hotel resorts, the convention center will be able to attract shows, professional conferences, conventions and events all year long. The Starlight Resort on Poplar Avenue is even talking about running year-round tram cars back and forth to the Convention Center.

The Wildwoods are going year-round! In my humble opinion, there is still one issue no one is yet talking about around here, perhaps lost in all the talk about Doo Wop, the demos, and the new condotels -- We must start discussing indoor heating on the boardwalk.

Sure the hotels are meant to support the Convention Center. And they are all "self-contained".. everything a visitor needs or wants, from food to entertainment is included within each building. So there is no reason for a winter visitor to ever leave the hotel, except for events at the center.

In my opinion, the Wildwoods ARE the boardwalk. Without that boardwalk, and other restaurants, movie theaters, and nightclubs throughout the island, THERE IS NO WILDWOODS. We must begin discussing, through the DWPL and other organizations, a way to keep the boardwalk open in the winter. Between the condotels, the convention center, and our fabulous boardwalk all operating year-round, we will finally have a total resort.

Thom

[JerseyDigger29]

wildre said:

Thanks Thom.
Amazing pictures.

What conflict did McGrath have on this proposal?

Thom what kind of camera do you have? It takes fabulous pictures.

re

I don't know what conflict he had. The board's lawyer also had to recuse himself and be replaced by another temporary lawyer on this project. I assume these two gentlemen have some kind of personal relationship with someone or some organization involved with the project, and had to remove themselves so there was no appearance of influencing the board's vote. No big deal, it happens all the time with all boards.

When GWTIDA was created in the early nineties, at least one board member chose to remove herself from the voting because she owned property very close to the current location of the Convention Center and didn't want to be accused of influencing the vote for personal benefit. Like I said, no big deal, it's the honorable thing to do.

My camera is a simple digital 5mp Kodak Easyshare. It has a couple of problems I don't like but if you're careful and plan your photos ahead of time, it takes great pictures, especially in lighted situations. I am hoping to inlude an even better camera soon, once I can afford it.

Thom

[Al Alven]

Thanks for all of the information, Thom. Your efforts and the information you've been able to pass along are greatly appreciated by all of us here.

I agree with you that the Boardwalk is (and should always be treated like) the lifeline of the Wildwoods.

I believe it will take some time to transform the 'walk into a year-round entity, but that could be the final piece of the puzzle in terms of the Wildwoods arrival as the "total resort" you mentioned.

[thelastresort]

$250 per resort!! ok, I stand corrected, they'll be broke in 5 years. I really really hope I'm wrong, but consider the logic. who wants to go to WW and freeze their a$$es off in the middle of winter?! And as for an all-year boardwalk, putting a canopy over it will completely ruin it for the summer, unless is it something they can put on and take off. But really, who wants to walk a boardwalk in the mid-altantic region when its 35 degrees outside? and who is going to work there? all the college students who work in the summer will be, well, back in college, as will be the foreign exchange students.

Again, I hope I am wrong, but you heard it here first.....

[Al Alven]

thelastresort said:

$250 per resort!! ok, I stand corrected, they'll be broke in 5 years. I really really hope I'm wrong, but consider the logic. who wants to go to WW and freeze their a$$es off in the middle of winter?! And as for an all-year boardwalk, putting a canopy over it will completely ruin it for the summer, unless is it something they can put on and take off. But really, who wants to walk a boardwalk in the mid-altantic region when its 35 degrees outside? and who is going to work there? all the college students who work in the summer will be, well, back in college, as will be the foreign exchange students.

Again, I hope I am wrong, but you heard it here first.....

I've made four or five trips to Atlantic City this winter, and I've seen some surprisingly impressive crowds on their Boardwalk, even when the temperatures have been well below freezing and the winds have been strong.

I think the Wildwoods' Boardwalk can be an attraction in any season, under the right circumstances.

[wildre]

Thanks Thom and Al, you've given me much to ponder.

lastresort-I think they believe if they built it they will come. Hotels with modern amenities give us a much better chance of booking more into the convention center during the winter months. I think what Thom is saying about heat on the boardwalk is the buildings there, not to actually heat the boardwalk. If they put a promenade into some of these hotels, as Thom mentioned, with shops and restaurants, it should add more winter traffic.
Ocean City has a viable boardwalk for most of the year, with events year round, even a First Night every New Years Eve.
As far as finding workers, there is a huge unemployment rate in Cape May County, with few year round jobs, but many in summer jobs. It would be an economic boost to the entire county if it pans out.
If I think about it, not much different than what Atlantic City wanted to do sans the casinos and much smaller scale of course. Folks walk the boardwalk there year round.

re

[thelastresort]

thanks to all for providing the pics.

and thanks wildre, point taken. I guess when I hear the price tag, wow! Just looking at some of the smaller run of the mill motels, even now at their inflated prices, they are going for like $2M maybe. so a $250M price tag equals like 125 motels!! there is not even that many on the island! and they are talking about 5 of these big guys. Wow, they are really really going to need to boost the tourism to make it work. I certainly hope so, but what a risk.

Perhaps they are teeing it up for casinos? I know back in the late 70's when AC legalized gambling, there was talk that Pier 6600 and the Grand would be converted to casinos, which never happened. But gambling was still a stigma back then, only AC and Vegas. Now, it's everywhere. Maybe this is the master plan? Or it will come to this a few years from now to avoid bankruptcy all around. I hope not, but who knows.

[wildre]

Those $2M motels are knock downs to those that buy them not a viable business opportunity.
The risk is all private developers money, lets hope they know what their doing.
Unless NJ changes it's laws AC is the only place in the state that's allowed casinos.

re

[JerseyDigger29]

Yes, I was talking about heating the buildings, not the boardwalk. Atlantic City is open all year round because of the casinos, but that doesn't keep people IN the casinos all the time. If you have places and stores they want to see, they will leave the hotels.

Besides, there's a big difference between AC and the Wildwoods. AC is gambling and we have this fantastic FAMILY boardwalk that no one can duplicate.
Also, keep in mind that we have had at least two businesses on the boardwalk that have been open all year for some time now: Gateway 26 and Vogels Fudge - All year.

I know no T-shirt store will be worth keeping open all year since people who can stay in these hotels probably won't be buying too many t-shirts with curse words all over them. But I am talking about the classier stores, restaurants, and even some rides. All they need to do is put removable glass fronts on them and add heating.

I've always had a dream about the boardwalk in winter. Remember "Playland," the indoor kiddie rides and the original merry-go-round on Cedar and the boardwalk? That was an indoor amusement park.

I always though that someone with a lot of money could put an open-ended glass or plexi-glass atrium over the main boardwalk from Oak Avenue to Schellenger, and along the length of Cedar Avenue. Obviously, it wouldn't be heated because it would be open-ended, but it would allow people to walk out of the weather.

And it would act like a waystation for the tram cars. If they could enclose the trams (in the winter) like they do the push carts in AC, the trams could run year round from the Montego Bay to the Starlight at Hunts Pier, to Oak Ave and Mariners (especially if they get that resort at Cedar Avenue I mentioned in another post), and from there to the Convention Center.

And then, if Mariners would enclose just the front 50 yards of the pier - over the kiddie rides - we would have a year-round boardwalk. How's that for a pipe dream? Enclose just a few kiddie rides in the winter and all those conventioneers might start bringing the wives and kiddies to their conferences.

It can be done, possibly with a little co-op investment from the resorts. I remember seeing pictures of the Victorian Era, and especially the Chicago Worlds Fair from 1893. Overhead atriums above main concourses or promanades were aparently all the rage.

Oh, well, I'll just keep dreaming...

Thom