Ocean City to demolish Ferris wheel; Margate gets $5.5M for Lucy restoration

The 144-foot Ferris wheel at Ocean City’s Wonderland Pier faces demolition. Meanwhile, Lucy the Elephant in Margate secured nearly $5.5 million in state tax credits for a major restoration. The two Jersey Shore landmarks stand at opposite ends of the preservation spectrum. One is scheduled for removal, while the other receives a financial boost to repair its interior and build new facilities.

The developer who owns the Wonderland Pier property stated last month that the deteriorating attraction needs to be torn down. This decision came despite previous hopes to save the structure. At the most recent Ocean City Council meeting, members discussed the possibility of the city taking ownership of the wheel. One speaker at the meeting asserted, “It can't be saved.”

Local residents have watched the structure decline. Don and Bo Sobeck, who live in Somers Point, walk along the Ocean City Boardwalk daily. They photograph the Ferris wheel every day because they do not know when it will be gone. Don Sobeck said, “We’ve been taking a picture in front of it every single day, because we never know when it's going to not be there.”

Ocean City resident Arles Dupont described the ride as a familiar sight for visitors arriving on the island. She noted the sadness of seeing it deteriorate. “It's just a wonderful thing to look at. and it is sad that it's deteriorating and that it won't be something that you see when you come right onto the island,” Dupont said.

In Margate, the $5.5 million tax credit will fund the restoration of Lucy the Elephant’s interior. The project also includes building an ADA-compliant visitors center. Richard Helfant, executive director of Lucy the Elephant, called the funding a necessary boost. “This was the shot in the arm that we needed to complete this project. That's actually been the works since 2003,” Helfant said.

Plans for the Margate project include a makeover of the surrounding park with new landscaping and walkways. Developers will recreate a section of Margate's boardwalk lost to storms in 1944 and 1962. Helfant said this section will serve as the grand entrance into the new building.

Ocean City councilmembers are currently drafting guidelines for a redevelopment plan for the Wonderland Pier property. The plan will address a possible hotel, family entertainment areas, and the future of the historic carousel inside the pier building. Councilman Keith Hartzell said the city should leave the carousel’s future open to negotiation. “I think it's very, very important that we leave that up to negotiation, right? who's going to be responsible for refurbishing, how's it going to get refurbished, if it gets refurbished, where's it going to be,” Hartzell said. The public will have a say in these guidelines.