WILDWOOD – The City of Wildwood and the county government have created a partnership to revitalize a 1.3-mile stretch of Pacific Avenue through downtown Wildwood.
The latest announcement comes after many years of attempts to redesign Pacific Avenue, a tired area of the city. Wildwood is the recipient of state grant money to revitalize the district. While a stakeholder committee is responsible for designating the annual $125,000 grant for the coming five years, the city has taken initiative to create their own public-private partnership.
The city recently adopted the Pacific Avenue Redevelopment Plan, creating a dedicated redevelopment zone. The objective is to incentivize new investment and create forward-looking zoning.
“We look forward to working with developers who are bringing great projects to the table, and to using our tax abatement strategies to help them make the decision to invest in our downtown community,” said Wildwood Mayor Peter Byron.
The new plan includes approval for some higher density housing.
County Commissioner Will Morey acknowledged the daunting prospect of acquisition and demolition for developers. This is where the county will enter the initiative. He said the commissioners are “deploying a dedicated revolving property acquisition fund for the Pacific Avenue initiative, enabling it to acquire and prepare properties for private redevelopment.”
The Atlantic County Improvement Authority will provide support and administrative assistance to the Pacific Avenue Redevelopment team. For more information about living and investing in the new Pacific Avenue area, interested parties can reach out to Bob McGuigan at 609-343-2390.
