WILDWOOD ─ “I’m doing what is best to rejuvenate downtown,” Mayor Ernie Troiano said Sept. 12. Troiano publicly defended the city’s decision to lease the former M. Langley Post 3509 Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) to the Greater Wildwoods Tourism Improvement and Development Authority (GWTIDA).
Troiano and Commissioner Anthony Leonetti supported the resolution approving the lease while Commissioner Peter Byron voiced his concern for the city’s direction.
According to the resolution, “It is in the interest of the residents of the City of Wildwood for the property to be used in a manner which would increase tourism to the city and specifically Pacific Avenue.”
Explained by City Solicitor Mary D’Arcy Bittner, GWTIDA’s function is to develop tourism and the city is entirely within its rights to enter into an agreement with GWTIDA.
Per state law, GWTIDA may sub-lease the former VFW site; currently, the East Coast Music Hall of Fame is the probable tenant.
East Coast Music Hall of Fame is a “new organization,” according to Troiano, and will use the former post as a museum space.
According to officials, East Coast Music Hall of Fame will invest $30,000 in the building, providing maintenance and repairs.
Troiano told the Herald Sept. 17 that the lease is a “tourism idea” designed to attract business to Pacific Avenue.
By providing an attraction which could have gone to either Atlantic City or Asbury Park, the East Coast Music Hall of Fame includes artists from the 1950s onward.
If the project proves successful, Troiano said the show in June 2020 will be “packed” and include well-known inductees.
However, resident Ryan Troiano told commissioners “we’re (Wildwood) giving it (the building) away.”
“The city’s not getting a dime out of it,” Ryan Troiano said. He told commissioners he looked up East Coast Music Hall of Fame online and discovered the organization’s Go-Fund-Me page.
Resident and local Realtor Sandra Richardson also questioned the decision. Richardson based her concerns on the lack of revenue because of the lease.
“We (Wildwood) have too many non-profits,” Richardson said. “Is there a guarantee that they (East Coast) will invest? Will there be a good return?”
Byron concurred with residents’ concerns, saying the lack of evidence regarding the organization’s financial stability is troubling.
Byron compared the lease to the city’s long-debated Back Bay project; with no contract signed between the city and the developer, Byron claims that Troiano harmed taxpayers not putting the project out to bid.
According to Byron, Troiano continues “circumventing the system” in leasing the VFW to GWTIDA.
Byron told the Herald, in a phone interview, of a nearby lot selling for more than $160,000.
Troiano countered Byron by saying, “Everything we do is a gamble. You’ve got to try something.” Troiano said “No one” expressed interest in the Back Bay project and it will continue to unfold.
Complying with the Department of Environmental Protection’s standards has slowed the timeline.
Troiano told the Herald the Music Hall of Fame would bring revenue to eateries and business along Pacific Avenue, thus helping the city as a whole.
Another resident also questioned Troiano, asking why the VFW post project did not go out to bid and also if such measures are legal. Troiano assured her the step taken was legally and was researched by Bittner.
Troiano said he wished residents to know nothing “under-handed” occurred in creating the lease with GWTIDA, the process was legally carried about by Bittner according to state statutes.
According to Troiano, if the concept does not come together within two years, the property would revert to the City.
In response to concerns over the city’s alleged fixation with the Doo-Wop era, Troiano said what is old often becomes new again, using Cape May’s Victorian theme as an example.
The Herald contacted Leonetti Sept. 17 and was told the lease was “a win-win.”
“It’s our building,” Leonetti said, emphasizing the positive aspects of keeping the site while leasing it for tourism purposes.
Concerning the possibility of the project not going to fruition, Leonetti replied, “There’s a risk in everything you do.” Leonetti added that the lot could “possibly sell for more” after improvements are made.
Leonetti said he was “very cautious” in the contract with GWTIDA and ensured certain stipulations were included.
East Coast must have a contract with GWTIDA within six months. If progress is not made in a “timely manner,” the property would revert to the city.
Executive Director John Siciliano of GWTIDA told the Herald that he would proceed with “caution” as is prudent in creating contracts with new organizations.
The Herald also contacted Byron and learned his perspective on the project.
Byron said the city should focus on attracting a younger demographic, namely millennials. Although he respects the Doo-Wop musical genre, Byron believes the city cannot build upon the past.
In a prepared statement, Byron stated: “While the city is drowning in financial chaos and increasing its taxes by 10 cents, it’s reckless not to pursue selling this property.”
Byron refers to the lease as a “misguided adventure” combining with the city’s “already abundance” of non-profit organizations.
Chief Executive Officer Thomas Petillo of East Coast Music Hall of Fame wrote the following statement on his Go-Fund-Me webpage: “Scheduled to open in June 2020, the East Coast Music Hall of Fame Museum is a Wildwood New Jersey gem for both serious music fans of the 50s, 60s, and 70s as well as the casual visitor to one of the Jersey Shore’s best vacation spots. With robust exhibits and in-depth history, the museum exposes, educates, and entertains visitors with all that is the rich musical culture of our music.”
To contact Rachel Rogish, email rrogish@cmcherald.com.
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