Ocean City officials approved a rezoning plan for the site of Gillian’s Wonderland Pier, a historic amusement park that closed in October 2024. The five-to-two vote designates the property as “in need of rehabilitation,” a step toward developing a hotel on the site.
The amusement park, a local landmark since 1965, closed after years of financial struggles amid rising costs, inflation, and pandemic-related disruptions. Owner Eustace Mita acquired the property in 2021 and proposed building a 252-room hotel. The city’s planning process now moves to drafting a redevelopment plan, which includes public hearings and further approvals.
Some residents support the project, citing potential benefits such as increased tourism for the city, which has about 11,000 year-round residents and attracts more than 100,000 visitors daily during summer months. Others, however, voiced concerns about changes to the boardwalk’s character and community impact.
Ocean City 2050, a community advocacy group, criticized the rezoning decision, calling it a “strategic blunder” and announcing plans to file a lawsuit challenging the rehabilitation designation. The group alleges the city failed to meet statutory requirements and ignored financial conflicts and fiduciary duties. It supports a recent subcommittee report advocating for traditional planning tools rather than rehabilitation designation, aiming to preserve the iconic look and feel of the boardwalk while enhancing entertainment options.
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
