DUI Lawyers in Ocean City, NJ

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Developer Icona Resorts plans to open the former Gillian's Wonderland Pier building on the Ocean City Boardwalk as an arcade and pizza shop starting Memorial Day Weekend. The developer is finalizing plans to propose a 250-room luxury hotel at the site later in the summer. The building, which was recently repainted, is shown in March in the photo above.

The former site of Gillian's Wonderland Pier, the amusement park that closed last year after nearly a century on the Ocean City Boardwalk, will operate this summer as an arcade and pizza shop, the property owner said.

Icona Resorts CEO Eustace Mita, who hopes to replace the shuttered amusement park with a 250-room hotel, said Friday he plans debut the new look over Memorial Day Weekend. The story was first reported Thursday by the Press of Atlantic City.

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“We want to do what’s right for this city. We don’t want a dead zone on the Boardwalk,” Mita said.

The building at 6th Street and the boardwalk was recently repainted inside and out — something a passerby noticed and posted on Facebook — and Mita said he purchased new ovens for a shop that will be called Ocean City Pizza Company. Wonderland Pier formerly operated 6th Street Pizza, which closed in October along with the amusement park.

None of the old rides from Wonderland Pier will be running at the new venue this summer, but Mita said he bought new arcade games for the building.

For generations, Wonderland Pier was owned by the family of Ocean City Mayor Jay Gillian, who sold the real estate to Mita in 2021 to avoid facing a sheriff's auction. The property had $8 million in defaulted mortgage loans, and Mita's investment allowed Wonderland to operate for a few more years until Gillian announced last summer that it was "no longer a viable business."

Playland's Castaway Cove, the only remaining amusement park on the Ocean City Boardwalk, rebuilt and reopened its arcade in April after it was destroyed in a fire four years ago.

The hotel proposal at the Wonderland Pier site has ignited debate and raised questions about Mita's plans since the amusement park closed.

Icona Resorts has six luxury hotels at the Jersey Shore in Cape May, Avalon and Diamond Beach. Mita also owns the home-building company Achristavest.

In the fall, Mita unveiled tentative plans and renderings of the proposed Icona in Wonderland hotel. The $150 million project would preserve the former amusement park's Ferris wheel and carousel along with a few additional rides. The project has faced opposition from some residents and homeowners, and Ocean City's zoning laws do not allow hotels to be built on the boardwalk without a variance.

Over the past several months, Mita has held community meetings to discuss the hotel plan and address residents' concerns. He vowed not to try to get around Ocean City's prohibition on liquor sales for his hotel and said parking for the building would be kept in a contained area of the property.

To address Ocean City's zoning hurdles, Mita has said he hopes to gain support from city council to designate the Wonderland Pier site as a state redevelopment zone. That approach would classify the land as blighted and create a tax arrangement that funnels most of the hotel's property-related revenue to Ocean City instead of the county and state.

Icona Resorts was expected to formally propose the hotel this spring, but Mita said he now expects that to happen in June or July.

The hotel plan earned the support of both the Boardwalk Merchants Association and the Downtown Merchants Association in March. Mita said he is awaiting a vote on a possible endorsement from the Ocean City Regional Chamber of Commerce.

Ocean City has seen a decadeslong decline in hotel rooms that has coincided with the rise of condos and shore homes, which are typically rented for longer than three-day bookings. In an interview in November, Mita told PhillyVoice the city needs a new hotel to appeal to different kinds of visitors.

"We average four people occupying a room for a three-day stay," Mita said of his other hotels at the Jersey Shore. "Those are the people that come down and spend the money, and those are the ones Ocean City is just doing away with."

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A veteran firefighter is suing Ocean City, claiming officials passed him over for a promotion to fire chief in retaliation for whistleblowing, prior lawsuits, and his plans to develop a controversial piece of local property.

Deputy Fire Chief Vito DiMarco filed the lawsuit March 20 in Cape May County Superior Court. He alleges he was the most qualified candidate for fire chief in 2024 but was denied the promotion in favor of a lower-ranking employee.

DiMarco says he scored highest on the civil service exam, had the most seniority, and received strong interview feedback from top officials.

But now-retired Fire Chief Jim Smith told him the lower-ranking employee was picked due to stronger public speaking skills, the suit states.

The real reason, DiMarco claims, was retaliation.

The deputy chief had previously sued Ocean City in 2022 over sexual harassment and hostile work environment claims — a suit that was settled.

DiMarco also took legal action against the city over a property he owns that the city allegedly tried to take via eminent domain.

DiMarco says he faced repeated resistance while trying to develop the property and believes city officials, including Mayor Jay Gillian, showed bias because the city wanted to acquire the land.

Bernard F. Walker, who is Ocean City’s current fire chief, declined to comment. Gillian did not respond to a request for comment.

Doug Bergen, spokesman for Ocean City, also declined to comment, citing pending litigation.

The complaint accuses Ocean City of violating the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination and the state’s whistleblower law, the Conscientious Employee Protection Act.

DiMarco is seeking monetary damages and promotion to fire chief.

©2025 Advance Local Media LLC. Visit nj.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Voice Your Opinion!

You know that feeling when the weather finally starts to warm up, all the shore towns wake back up, and the boardwalk smells like pizza, fries, and sunscreen again? It’s about to be that time.

Ocean City is kicking things off early this year with something pretty awesome.

This Saturday, May 3rd, from 1 to 4 p.m., you can hit up Castaway Cove and ride unlimited rides for just $20. No, that's not a typo — twenty bucks for unlimited rides. It’s all going toward a good cause, too: Relay For Life of Atlantic County, which supports the American Cancer Society.

Pretty much every ride at Castaway Cove is expected be running, except for the Gale Force rollercoaster. You'll have to wait a bit longer for that one.

Still, everything else seems to be fair game. All the kiddie rides, the spinning rides, classics like the log flume — it’s all open this weekend.

Plus, there’s just something about riding the rides before the Memorial Day Weekend chaos hits that feels kinda special, right? Like you’re in on a secret before the crowds roll in.

Here's why you need to be there. First of all, $20 for unlimited rides is a steal. Secondly, Relay For Life is an amazing cause that raises money for cancer research and patient support. And third — let’s be SO for real for minute...it’s been a long winter. We deserve some boardwalk fun already.

READ MORE: Leave The OCNJ Foxes Alone, Please!

Everything you need to know about this weekend's $20 unlimited rides in OCNJ can be found below.

OCEAN CITY, NJ — An Ocean City High School senior is the recipient of a prestigious scholarship award.

Christopher Garrabrant was named a 2025 National Honor Society Scholarship Finalist, the Ocean City School District announced in a news release. Garrabrant was one of 25 students selected from thousands of applicants across the nation.

As a finalist, Garrabrant was awarded a $5,625 scholarship at the National Education Leadership Awards held in Washington, D.C., this April. At the event, four Pillar Award winners received an additional $5,000 and the national winner received a total of $25,000.

“The experience was great because I got to meet so many other people from all over the country,” said Garrabrant. “It was great hearing how different all of their lifestyles are but how we all have such a shared passion for helping those in need.”

The National Association of Secondary School Principals founded the National Honor Society in 1921 based on the four pillars of scholarship, service, leadership and character. The NASSP also established the National Junior Honor Society, the National Student Council and the National Elementary Honor Society.

Find out what's happening in Ocean Cityfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Garrabrant was chosen as a finalist for being an exemplary student and for his dedication to service, volunteering more than 1,000 hours to support vulnerable populations. At age 9, he joined Post Crashers, a nonprofit organization that supports homeless veterans. During this time, he grew the membership to more than 900 youth, resulting in donations totaling more than 30,000 meals and 22,000 pounds of produce.

“Being awarded this scholarship has brought light to the impact I’ve made, which can be a form of encouragement that other students can also do what I’ve done,” said Garrabrant.

Garrabrant also founded Chris’s Coastal Crops, a program that educates underprivileged youth on gardening and healthy eating. The program transforms neglected spaces into vibrant community resources, too.

Garrabrant’s advice to other students, “Find what you’re passionate about and then figure out how you can intertwine community service into your passion,” he said. “That way you stay involved in it. You don’t just do it because you think you should. You do it because you like what you’re doing. I think that’s how you make the biggest impact. For me, I became really interested in agriculture, and Chris’s Coastal Crops is a way that I can do community service while also doing something I enjoy.”

As the OCHS National Honor Society chapter's junior officer, Garrabrant established “Stock the Shelves,” an effort to collect donations for food pantries. When he became the chapter’s president, he expanded “Stock the Shelves” to include multiple National Honor Society and National Junior Honor Society chapters, which donated thousands of food items.

Garrabrant is captain of the OCHS swim and lacrosse teams, vice president of Math Club, founder/president of Standardized Testing Club, officer in Class Council, founder/president of Grilling Club, and was Rookie of the Year for more than 60 rescues as a Beach Patrol lifeguard. He will attend Harvard University in the fall and plans to study electrical engineering. He hopes to serve his country as a naval officer.

“We are very proud of Chris’s latest achievement and of his extensive record of community service,” said Dr. Christian Angelillo, Superintendent of Schools. “His projects and generous dedication of time are a reminder of the importance of volunteer work. It is the district’s mission to provide a high-quality education to students who are driven to succeed in academics, extracurriculars and the community.”

One of Ocean City's most popular boardwalk attractions is getting a new, but familiar store.

The Surf Mall, which has been operating at 1154 Boardwalk in Ocean City since 1983, has long been the home to a surf shop called GXN, which had been a mainstay inside the mall since 1995. The store's owner, Tobin Baric, retired at the end of the 2024 season, and the mall was looking to replace the surf shop.

Surfer Supplies Joins Ocean City's Surf Mall

In its place is a familiar name to the locals and visitors of Ocean City since 1962, Surfer Supplies, located at 3101 Asbury Ave.

Surfer Supplies has been specializing in quality surf equipment, new and used surfboards, skateboards, and skim boards, plus surf and skate apparel for men, women & children.

Surfer Supplies' new location is now open with its new Ocean City boardwalk store located inside the iconic Surf Mall.

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"Having Surfers Supplies join the Surf Mall has everyone pumped," Surf Mall co-owner Wes Kazmark told me. Andrew and Greg (Surfer Supplies owners) are great guys and super good at what they do. They bring a ton of value to the mall, and we feel it's the perfect location for them to expand. So it's a perfect partnership."

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Suffers Supplies has been a mainstay in Ocean City, and will now have a second location inside the Surf Mall on the boardwalk.

The Surf Mall: A Summer Destination

The Surf Mall has something for everyone and features all the summer's most popular trends, becoming one of the must-visit places along Ocean City's iconic 2.5-mile boardwalk.

The Rock Star headquarters is maybe its most popular spot, featuring over 300 rock shirts, nearly 1,000 posters and tapestries, new and used vinyl records, stickers, patches, pins, and merchandise for artists spanning the last 60 years.

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The Birdcage is a beach-inspired boutique featuring women's clothing and has become one of the top fashion destinations at the Jersey shore.

Here is a link to all the stores located at the Surf Mall.