Seaport Village plans get approved

[crazyaboutwildwood]

Check out the wildwood leader. It says plans for seaport village are approved for Restaurants, amusements? etc... It also stated that they did not want any tattoo parlors or t shirt shops Etc... What does everyone think?

[CondorAlex]

Linked:
www.thewildwoodleader.com/pages_b/page2_26.htm

I think it sounds great, let's just hope the pier is used to its full potential. Smell or not.

[JerseyDigger29]

crazyaboutwildwood said:

Check out the wildwood leader. It says plans for seaport village are approved for Restaurants, amusements? etc... It also stated that they did not want any tattoo parlors or t shirt shops Etc... What does everyone think?

Glad you saw it, Crazy.

It seems NW is working really hard to modernize and upgrade the town. Everything they are doing seems to be a well-though-out attempt to coordinate all of the changes into one goal: modernization and trying to restore business and tourism.

They (Council, the Planning Board, etc.) all seem to realize the damage all the condos have done to the island and they are trying to reverse the effect, or at least lessen it, by restoring the emphasis on tourism and business. Examples:

1) They are working really hard to create a modern commercial or business atmosphere on New Jersey Avenue and the 100 block of east 17th street. That is why they passed those amendments a while back allowing residential ABOVE commercial businesses. These kind of places are really sprouting up all along NJ.

2) The planning board has been working to restore the bar and restaurant district in Anglesea. They seem to miss Moores and appear determined to lessen the loss. (The board said just last week that they REALLY don't want any more bar licenses transferred from the city up onto the boardwalk {new licenses, or the one remaining boardwalk license, at the new Seaport Pier, no more transfers}). Transferring more city licenses to the boardwalk would "destroy" the club and restaurant district, they said.

3) The kinds of businesses proposed for Seaport Village seem to be hinting at first-class restaurants to really spruce up the east side of the town. Keep in mind that they are also looking into smaller condotels along the beachfront.

Put it all together: Moreys new water park beach club, talk about first class restaurant(s) or franchises?? at Seaport Village, condotels along the beachfront, commercial businesses along NJ and 17th Street, and the Anglesea entertainment area. It all adds up to one thing for me:

North Wildwood (and the rest of the Wildwoods) is going to be a hopping place! I hope.

Keep in mind that the approval of the planning board of the redevelopment plan now has to go to city council for review and approval. So there have been no official changes to the pier yet - only possibilities for it.

[crazyaboutwildwood]

Thom, I did not understand what they meant by amusements? How can you have upscale restaurants then next to it amusemnts? even if they meant like minni golf or games, istill dont know what they mean? Do you know?

[JerseyDigger29]

crazyaboutwildwood said:

Thom, I did not understand what they meant by amusements? How can you have upscale restaurants then next to it amusemnts? even if they meant like minni golf or games, istill dont know what they mean? Do you know?

The Redevelopment Plan is simply a legal "list" of things that the city will allow a developer to put on the pier or will not allow.

What the city is trying to do is attract a developer (a developer is like the guys who are building the giant condotels. For example, let's say the Morey Family who will be developing the new Starlight Resort Hotel at Hunts Pier's parking lot).

The city is looking for a developer with a lot of money to come in and redevelop the pier into a bigger and better place that will act as a tourism "anchor" for the north end of the boardwalk.

An anchor is intended to be something big and spectacular that will attract or lure more people down to the north end. As it stands now, most people stop at Surfside Pier and then turn around and go back south, not many people proceed any further north than Surfside because there isn't much down that far to attract a lot of people (not counting Adams Restaurant, of course).

They hope someone with a lot of money will come in and want to make Seaport Village Pier really spectacular so more people will walk farther north on the boardwalk.

Although the plan says Restaurants and amusements, etc., those are just some of the things that are legal for the pier. It doesn't mean that both will be included on the pier at the same time.

It all depends on what developer wants to put out the money to fix up the pier and what they propose to put there. It could become an "Ocean One," for example; it could become another amusement pier (although they haven't said anything about making the pier any longer); it could become a giant food and dining pier with many different kinds of dining experiences. (Did you ever go to Epcot Center where they have all those great restaurants representing all the different countries)?

Well, it could become anything, as long as it is on the "list" of things that are legal.

In my opinion, with all the talk I've been hearing about the possibilities of making that one remaining boardwalk liquor license available for Seaport Village - if needed - I kind of think some people are looking forward to really fine "name" restaurant(s) or franchise(s) on the pier. I could be wrong.

Whatever happens to the pier, it will definitely be a lot bigger and better than what is there now.

Thom

[crazyaboutwildwood]

Yes, I have been to epcot. Not that we need more amusements but it would be nice to put some heat on those over confident moreys!! Im glad to see that something big is going to happen to this pier. Will they finally get rid of that smell?

[wildre]

Thom, do you know if City Council is looking for a public private partnership here? With the city retaining ownership of the pier and final say on how it's developed? Or hasn't it gone that far yet?
I also should say I really enjoyed you article. I guess next week you will writing about the Council Meeting this week and Morey's Ocean Oasis?

[homer]

jerseydigger29 said:

crazyaboutwildwood said:

Thom, I did not understand what they meant by amusements? How can you have upscale restaurants then next to it amusemnts? even if they meant like minni golf or games, istill dont know what they mean? Do you know?

(Did you ever go to Epcot Center where they have all those great restaurants representing all the different countries)? ...Well, it could become anything, as long as it is on the "list" of things that are legal.
Thom

I am picturing the piers in Baltimore as kind of a template for what might happen at Seaport Village. Bars/restaurants plus an "ESPN Zone"- or "Dave & Busters"-type establishment.

They are leaning away from the amusement parks of old, I believe. NW Councilman Patrick Rosenello (Boardwalk Improvement District) is the man with the vision on this one, it seems. I hope he can find some financial backers for this plan.

wildre, here is some background with regard to your "public private partnership" question here:
wildwoodleader.blogspot.com/2005/06/seaport-village-pier-possibilities-to.html
And here:
wildwoodleader.blogspot.com/2006/01/high-hopes-for-north-end-of-boardwalk.html

I think the city is afraid to sell the property to some fly-by-night operation (that will end up running Go-karts or something similarly lame). So they're being very careful how they handle this. (It's sure to start all kinds of conspiracy theories, though, about who got paid off to let somebody develop the place.)

[JerseyDigger29]

Homer - I didn't see the previous stories. Thanks! After reading them, it kind of reinforces my feeling about the first class restaurants and/or franchises ideas. I'm still convinced that last boardwalk liquor license (or any NEW license(s) that may be created for the pier) will play a large part in the decision. They seem to want to save that license for the pier for some as yet unknown reason.

Thom

[Al Alven]

Good article in the Leader, Thom.

Thanks for all of this info!

I agree with your assessment that the Boardwalk is extremely lacking in viable attractions north of 26th Street.

Essentially, the "North Wildwood portion" of the Boards.

An "anchor" attraction at the Seaport Village location should be a huge help to that area. I've been hearing rumors for years that Dave & Busters has been interested in opening a new location in the Wildwoods. Perhaps that will indeed be one option.

Whatever it is, though, this is very exciting stuff. I wasn't sure what to make of NW's previous announcements of a search to put a viable new entity at this location, but it looks like they are taking all the proper steps to ensure that it will be something worthwhile and very beneficial to the town, the Boardwalk and the Wildwoods as a whole.

Quick question, now that this just popped into my head...

Wouldn't it seem that old Ted Snyder is sitting on a potential goldmine with Sportland Pier? Considering the prime location, and all of the space he has (and assuming that the pier itself is in sound shape structurally), might that be considered a potential "area of interest" for the powers that be in NW as well?

That's probably getting way ahead of ourselves with relation to what's going on with Seaport Village, but it's a thought...

[crazyaboutwildwood]

No, your not getting ahead of yourself on sportland pier. Its a gold mine location and so is the back of casino which ted synder also owns. He probably will hold out for the big offers which I hope take place in the near future.

[homer]

crazyaboutwildwood said:

No, your not getting ahead of yourself on sportland pier. Its a gold mine location and so is the back of casino which ted synder also owns. He probably will hold out for the big offers which I hope take place in the near future.

I wouldn't give him that much credit. He is probably doing the exact same thing he has been doing with his properties lately...trying to make the next easy dollar.

My thoughts on the NW council being careful about if/how they sell Seapoint stem from the idea that they fear it could end up in the hands of (someone like) Ted Snyder.

[Al Alven]

I don't know Ted Snyder from Adam (aside from one brief encounter I had with him), but he just can't be a very smart business man.

Or, maybe he is. I don't know.

He's been sitting on Sportland Pier since, what, 1983?

I guess he's rented out space to Ed's Funcade 3, the go-kart operation and, I don't know, Bozo and a pretzel/lemonade stand over the years.

Is he really making a quick buck?

I would think he would be losing money with what he's probably paying in property taxes, etc., but he's still around, so maybe I'm wrong...

[JerseyDigger29]

crazyaboutwildwood said:

No, your not getting ahead of yourself on sportland pier. Its a gold mine location and so is the back of casino which ted synder also owns. He probably will hold out for the big offers which I hope take place in the near future.

As for Sportland Pier: Yes, it's a huge gold mine, if it were developed properly.

Unlike Seaport Village, though, the city doesn't own Sportland. Ted Snyder and whatever partner he has own it. I don't know how the city could get Snyder to "get off the dime" with it. They can't evict him. I think all a city can do to a private owner is strictly enforce city codes and regulations and hit him with "severe" fines and unplanned inspections as often as possible until he either gets fed up and sells or fixes it up.

Unless the city gets serious with him, I'm afraid he'll never do anything with it. Why, I don't know.

As for the pier, itself. I believe it's a complete mess. I wouldn't be suprised if about 90 percent or more needs to be completely rebuilt. The deck and support I'm sure are pretty much rotted away and I would be afraid to guess what shape the electric and plumbing underneath the pier are in. It's probably a complete fire trap...

There ya go, "Wildwood Lightning! Bob Bright at the museum was joking with me recently as we were talking about the huge number of boardwalk fires that have taken place through the years. They always seem to happen after the season when the gas and electricty are all turned off - Wildwood lightning.

Maybe somebody could convince Snyder to burn it down and take the money and run, then sell it to someone who really cares.

Naw, only wishful thinking.

As for his properties at the old Casino Arcade: I reported previously about the unproven possibility that there is a major condotel planned for that pier - from the boardwalk to Atlantic Ave and between Oak and Cedar. This is the one that could possibly have a large concourse running right down the middle of it from Atlantic Ave to the Boardwlk like a new arcade.

It's only a rumor, but that would be one way to get Snyder out of that area.

Thom

[crazyaboutwildwood]

Ted synder is starting to become a complete mystery to alot of people! AS you said thom about casino arcades rumored future, I would not like to see a condotel in this area. I think it should stay in the amusement catergory. Also, it would be to funny to have sportland pier burn to the ground with nothing on it. HA HA