It’s been illegal to sell or drink alcohol in public in Ocean City for 115 years. On Thursday, the Ocean City council made it clear the the law is still in place, unanimously passing a resolution that re-affirms its long-standing law amid continued speculation among locals that the soon-to-close boardwalk amusement park Gillian’s Wonderland Pier could be replaced with a hotel. “It’s redundant, but it’s also important with the perception of what’s happening with Wonderland — or the misconceptions of what’s happening,” Ocean City Council President Pete Madden told NJ Advance Media by phone on Friday in explaining why the council unanimously passed the resolution.
The park’s property is owned by Eustace Mita, owner of the ICONA Resorts franchise. Meta stepped in to keep the park open after owner Jay Gillian declared bankruptcy on the property in 2021, placing it at risk of being auctioned off. Gillian is also the mayor of Ocean City.
Wonderland is closing Oct. 13 because of economic challenges. It has been in operation for 94 years, and its founder, Roy Gillian, died recently.
Mita has said he’s months away from making a decision on the fate of the property. “If he (Mita) had not come, Wonderland would have been gone,” Gillian told people filling the pews of the Tabernacle Baptist Church in Ocean City during a Sept. 14 town hall.
Advocates for saving Wonderland were concerned about the prospects of the property becoming the site of a new hotel resort in.