WILDWOOD – As the county puts the finishing touches on its Rio Grande Avenue gateway project, a complete renovation of the main artery into the Wildwoods, the person who owns most of the private property on the north side of the road intends to ensure whatever goes there fits the town’s doo-wop vibe.
Tom Byrne owns property from Susquehanna Avenue east to Bob’s Auto Body, which sits at the corner of Rio Grande and Hudson avenues. Bob’s is separately owned and will remain.
Byrne’s property includes the former Getty station, Tomcat Restaurant, mini-golf course, and two houses.
Byrne, who is also chairman of the board of the Greater Wildwoods Tourism Improvement and Development Authority, said there is some remediation work to do at the former gas station site. Once that is complete, he plans to list the parcel for sale or long-term lease.
While it is not officially on the market, he said, he has received interest from restaurant chains and an e-sports facility.
Byrne said he spoke to County Commissioner Will Morey, who indicated an interest in a county Open Space project on the corner of Rio Grande and Susquehanna avenues.
“We’re not opposed to that. We would like to talk to the end-user, whoever that might be, and see how they feel about it before we go that route,” Byrne said.
According to Mayor Peter Byron, east of Hudson Avenue will become a Sinclair gas station, where the Sunoco and Mobil stations were. Riggins owned the Mobil and recently acquired the Sunoco and will redevelop both into a Sinclair.
There is another lot in that block that Riggins does not own, on the corner of Rio Grande Avenue and Park Boulevard, which was an old Exxon station. The plan was for a Popeye’s Restaurant, but the deal fell through, Byron said. The lot is on the market for just shy of $1 million.
Byron said the county is working on gathering finances to address the bare concrete wall that encases the pump station and is finishing a small section of roadwork on Hudson Avenue, south of Rio Grande Avenue, but otherwise, the gateway project is complete.
