Sidewalks on Pacific Ave.

[wildre]

I drove down Pacific the other day. What a great difference the new sidewalks make. Looks like they plan to be done shortly.

From todays AC Press.

Wildwood's Pacific Avenue makeover expected to be done by Memorial Day
By TRUDI GILFILLIAN Staff Writer, [phone]
Published: Tuesday, May 16, 2006
Updated: Tuesday, May 16, 2006

WILDWOOD — Pacific Avenue's latest makeover, stretching along the former Holly Beach Mall area, is scheduled to be complete in time for Memorial Day.

Traditional concrete and blue brick pavers will soon cover the eight-block area once lined with blue and green concrete sidewalks.

“The colored sidewalks were only a part of a major design concept,” said Patrick Rosenello, executive director of the Wildwood Boardwalk Improvement District.

A lack of funding and other difficulties meant that concept was never fully executed, and that left the colored sidewalks and their accompanying rocketship-shaped street signs on their own, he said.

“It's a mistake that everyone pretty much acknowledges,” Rosenello said.

Now, with $200,000 in funding from the improvement district and another $150,000 from a federal grant, that mistake has been corrected.

“It's such a dramatic improvement,” Rosenello said.

Improvement district President William Kurtz said the new, cleaner look is part of an effort to draw new businesses and to help Wildwood's downtown compete with other downtown business districts along the shore.

He added, “You have to clean it up before they will come.”

Kurtz, owner of Neil's Steak and Chowder House, said Wildwood's downtown, once the heart of Cape May County shopping, may not reach that status again, but it can become a popular downtown community.

“The business people are happy. The taxpayers are happy,” Kurtz said of the new look.

The rocketship street signs are expected to be replaced with palm tree-shaped signs like those on Rio Grande Avenue.

Rosenello said the rocketships, meanwhile, may find a new home marking the various streets on the Boardwalk.

To e-mail Trudi Gilfillian at The Press:

[e-mail]

www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/capemay/story/6359895p-6213951c.html

[Doowopper]

Nice to see the rocket ship signs may be planted near the boardwalk, they will go good with the streetlights. With the blue paint coming off the sidewalks, they are doing the right thing. I'm happy they are planning to use the palm tree street signs downtown, they are really nice too. Hopefully this time their efforts lead to sucess.

[Captain Phil]

I never cared for the colors. I like what there doing now. keep it simple IMO.

[FlyinGN]

more good stuff..

[wildre]

On the blocks that are finished the sidewalks look really nice, a real improvement. Now to work on some of the seedy looking buildings on Pacific that still need to be rehabed. It will take time but hopefully these improvememnts will continue.

[skuakid]

It's great to hear about Pacific Ave rising like the Phoenix from the ashes.

Now they need to attract better stores to that area. Keep the t-shirt and dollar stores on the boardwalk. While you're at it, close some of them down. I don't think we need a shirt outlet every 20 feet to accomodate the market for "I'm so drunk" or "I'm so horny" apparel.

I remember when there were decent clothing stores on Pacific Ave. I think the men's store was called Casual Cove.

The architechure of some of those old stores is very cool, like the old Woolworth's and GC Murphy's. I hope they don't get torn down.

One of the town's bigger mistakes was closing Pacific Ave to traffic. I think the Summer of 86 was the last time you could drive on Pacific until they reopened it. I didn't drive until 87 and wasn't able to cruise Pacific Ave. It's not as big as giving that Indian tribe all that money, but close.