CAPE MAY – Six ornamental arches continue to take form on the newly widened Cape May Promenade. Intended as a tribute to a past era in the city’s history, the arches replicate a turn of the 20th century architectural form. The arches will illuminate the Promenade from Gurney to Decatur streets. The original arches were destroyed in the Great Atlantic Hurricane of 1944.
Part of the plan for the arches calls for poles and overhead wires to be removed with cables in the area of the arches diverted to underground conduit. The LED lighting in the arches will also replace existing streetlamps. Mayor Zack Mullock has said the look of the new illuminated arches should be “magical.”
Not everyone in this city known for its political infighting agrees. Social media appears to be the preferred home for those who are critical of the plan. The opposition to the arches calls them a waste of money. One resident argues, “We had a beautiful view of nature that now looks blocked in.”
Mullock said he expected some criticism. Change typically comes at a cost of opposition. Many also use social media to praise the project, calling it “a great addition to keeping the Victorian aesthetic.”
Regardless of banter on social media, the city’s governing body remains supportive, and the work continues. City Manager Michael Voll said the work is on schedule for completion before Memorial Day. The project, along with widening portions of the Promenade, is part of a city effort to rejuvenate the popular walkway.
The arches cost about $25,000 each and the funding is being provided by the nonprofit Fund for Cape May, which has invested in other beautification projects around the city.
The city is responsible for the footings and connections, as well as for the ongoing cost of electricity. Although design had begun earlier, a formal agreement with the Fund for Cape May was approved by City Council at a public meeting in December 2022.
The arches, when completed, will stand 16 feet tall with steel frames to withstand threats from storms and a weather-resistant covering that mimics the original wood.
Although there are now just six arches in the plan, the possibility remains that more will be added if they prove popular and fundraising is sufficient to the task.
Tom Carroll, of the Fund for Cape May, recently said there could be as many as 20 to 25 such arches if they catch on with the public.
From those who claim that the arches look like the Philadelphia El, “just missing the train,” to those who say, “They are going to be beautiful,” the debate goes on as the work continues.
Contact the author, Vince Conti, at vconti@cmcherald.com.
