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Wildwood - On the Comeback?

By
Title Insurance with The Title Company of Jersey

I vacationed in Wildwood when I was a child.   So did thousands of others from Philly and the surrounding areas.   We grew up with great memories from the place where our parents chose to spend their hard earned vacation dollars.

It was difficult to see this vacation fantasy land turn into something much less over the years.  I guess that Wildwood hit bottom sometime around 10 or more years ago.  

Something happened just when people assumed that it was never going to get better.  Suddenly there were signs of life.  Investment dollars began to trickle into this city, eventually becoming a cascade of development.

Wildwood was no doubt the most undervalued barrier island on the coast, if not the whole country.  The money started to pour in long before the emergence of a master plan to put all these resources to good use.   The city started to lose it's history and identity.   Then came the emergence of the "Doo Wop Preservation League".  they were motivated to preserve the indigenous architecture for generations to come.  It was met with resistance from some developers who merely wanted to tear down another mom and pop motel to maximize the number of build-able units.

Too many cookie cutter projects later and a couple thousand unsold units, there may still be time to rewrite the future.  One thing that has not taken hold in Wildwood yet is the proliferation of name brand recognition.  Maybe a Hyatt or Marriott will help change the course of large scale development here. 

One thing is certain.  With the pause in the market, there is time to step back and reconsider how to best serve this historic town moving forward.  Maybe we can get it right this time.   There are too many wonderful resources at our disposal to not get it right.

I'm looking forward to the next phase of development.  I think that with a balance and a plan that this town is destined for a much better future.

Comments (1)

Anonymous
Troy Cawley

Thanks for recognition of Wildwood's 'Doo Wop' past...and hopefully future.  And of the work of the DWPL.

Folks who want to learn more about the subject can check out WildwoodDooWop.com

 

Apr 04, 2007 10:35 AM
#1