NORTH WILDWOOD – City Council created a new hotel and motel liquor license, for which any hotel with more than 100 rooms would be eligible, after receiving a letter requesting it from an attorney representing Montego Bay Resort.
Montego Bay already holds a consumption liquor license, an asset in North Wildwood, which allows their bar to operate. If they were to get the new license, they could sell the consumption license.
City Clerk Scott Jett said the price of a liquor license sale is not required to be disclosed, but he heard the last license that sold in the city went for over $400,000. Bidding would start at $25,000 for the hotel and motel license, a number that is set by state statute, Jett added.
He said he is not sure of any other properties that would be eligible to bid besides Montego Bay, but the burden of proof of eligibility is on the bidder, not the city, noting there are three pocket consumption licenses, or liquor licenses, not currently being used by their owner, in North Wildwood.
City code allows up to four licenses, and there is only one issued. The Acropolis Oceanfront Resort has the only active hotel and motel license in the city, which it acquired when it purchased the Thunderbird Inn’s license when that property was torn down.
The new license would not be issued until July, at the earliest, Jett said.
