Pizza shop, arcade to open at former Wonderland Pier site in Ocean City
The owner still plans to present his plan for a new hotel resort to City Council in July.
OCEAN CITY, N.J. — It’s not a luxury hotel (yet), but it also won’t be a total dead zone. There will be a pizza shop and an arcade open this summer at the former Gillian’s Wonderland Pier site at Sixth and the boardwalk.
Eustace Mita, owner of the site of the beloved amusement park, whose shuttering last year led to a wave of anger, nostalgia, and sadness, said he would operate the “Ocean City Pizza Company” at the site of the old Sixth Street Pizza, and open an arcade on the boardwalk, as well.
The rides, though, most of which are still visible through the side gates, will not operate, he said. The pizza shop and arcade will open Friday, May 23, in time for Memorial Day weekend.
Mita said the games at the arcade are all newly purchased.
Playland’s Castaway Cove remains the only amusement park on the Ocean City boardwalk.
Mita is still pursuing his controversial plan to remake the site as “Icona in Wonderland,” a 252-room hotel and resort that would keep the iconic Ferris wheel, merry-go-round, and wet boats kiddie ride.
» READ MORE: Hotel planned for Wonderland site
Mita said Monday he expected to present the plans for the hotel to City Council in July.
In the meantime, to at least keep the north end of the boardwalk from becoming “dark and lacking energy,” he said, the Wonderland building was freshly painted in purple and pink, and the plan for the pizza shop and arcade came together.