To make the math easy, if you had 200 rooms, that’s 800 visitors a week” to enjoy the boardwalk, start at Sixth Street and go up to 14th Street (the end of the retail end of the boardwalk), then walk over to Asbury Avenue, he said. “All hotels of our size average four occupants per room per week. However, that still boosts the resort’s shoulder season. He noted that although in the offseason the occupancy is lower, it would remain open like the other hotel properties owned by his company, Icona Resorts, to keep the management team in place. The second major point is that that end of the boardwalk “needs an anchor to give it the class we know it deserves” and it would have “upscale retail, like Vineyard Vines … that will come into a property like this because it will be open year-round.” “It’s a win-win for the citizenry of Ocean City … because the taxes paid, the revenues generated makes the taxes less on residents,” he said. The conceptual designs show an eight-story structure – a seven-story hotel in the center, smaller wings to the north and south and 400-space parking below – with 325 rooms and a cost in excess of $160 million, not including land acquisition. “We would immediately be the highest taxpayer by a wide margin in Ocean City and that’s a gift that would go on for decades and decades,” he said of the plan. He said there is a single great piece of property on the boardwalk that currently generates no income for the resort, noting that if it were transferred into private hands the tax revenues would go into the city budget to help pay for things such as roads and infrastructure. We think we have a one-time opportunity in a whole century to put together a destination and a premiere hotel … that 50, 100 years from now will still look good and generation after generation can enjoy it,” Mita said at the conclusion of the presentation. We haven’t had a new hotel in over half a century. “The idea is for once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. That plot now has sand dunes and beach volleyball courts. Rather than replace the amusement park, which some had feared had been Mita’s plan for acquiring the amusement park property, he has proposed buying the open city-owned land next door - bordered by Fifth and Sixth streets, the boardwalk and the parking lot for the Civic Center and Carey Field. Mita, his attorney and one of his architects dominated the 48-minute meeting with a lengthy conceptual presentation about building a luxury hotel they said would stand the test of time. Hartzell, a longtime councilman, was referring to an idea floated by luxury hotel and real estate developer Eustace Mita, who rescued Mayor Jay Gillian’s Wonderland Pier by buying the amusement park property at Sixth Street and the Boardwalk after banks called in nearly $8 million in loans.ĭuring the campaign, Gillian said he had no plans to build a hotel and that Mita had partnered with him to save the amusement park that has been in his family for three generations but had fallen on hard times aggravated by the COVID-19 pandemic.Īfter Thursday night’s Ocean City Council meeting, Hartzell, who lost the race to Gillian, is feeling vindicated, but not because Gillian has proposed building anything. OCEAN CITY - During last spring’s mayoral campaign, challenger Keith Hartzell ran on a platform that focused largely on fighting the concept of new high-rise hotels on the boardwalk. The hotel also features an outdoor heated pool, which is the largest in Ocean City, as well as a fitness center and a 24-hour business center.Icona’s Eustace Mita pitches concept on city-owned parcel near Carey Stadium, Civic Center From the spacious banquet and meeting space to the family-friendly dining at Emily’s Ocean Room, and the rejuvenating treatments at Divine Images Salon & Spa, guests are sure to find something that suits their needs. Located on the Ocean City Boardwalk, The Flanders Hotel is a seaside haven that offers a wide range of amenities. Each suite is equipped with a private bedroom and full kitchen complete with all the necessary appliances to make one’s stay as comfortable as possible. The hotel boasts a harmonious blend of vintage charm and modern amenities, offering guests a taste of the elegance of hospitality of yesteryear while providing all the comforts of the present. As we approach its centennial anniversary, The Flanders Hotel continues to uphold its reputation as a premier destination for those seeking a memorable OC experience. This grand hotel has a rich history and was placed on the Nation Register of Historic Places in 2009.
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