8 Reasons Why the Mita High-Rise Resort is a Big Mistake…

Eustace Mita purchased this property knowing it wasn’t zoned to build a hotel. It is zoned for amusements, the purpose of which is to create foot traffic up and down the Boardwalk, with each venue feeding the other. An insular resort does not work this way and will take money away from our community and won’t drive new visitors to OC. Also, if he took a bad business risk, why would our city give a multimillionaire special approvals and tax breaks just so they can get a bailout on their purchase? (There are some concerning connections between the owner of the failed Wonderland property, mayor Jay Gillian, and Mita who bailed out the business and also lent Gillian $1 million for a home mortgage.)


And, yes,we know Mita is the owner of the property, but he does not own the zoning. Think about it: could your neighbor turn his home into a casino just because he’s the legal owner of the house? Or turn his garage into a bar? Nope—zoning wouldn’t permit it.

To move forward, Mita is hoping 600 Boardwalk can be given a special status of “redevelopment” or “rehabilitation.” (He’s floated both ideas, including the idea of declaring the area “blighted”—a designation that allows zoning overrides.) If granted, nothing will stop every other business on the boardwalk from doing the same, leading to a wave of high-rise development and a boardwalk filled with cookie-cutter and overdeveloped buildings.



This isn’t theoretical—Mita has already told Boardwalk business owners they could do the same as him—no wonder some have come out in well-publicized votes to show they’re ready to support him and his plan!


Mita’s suggested high rise resort won’t bring more foot traffic or patronage to OC boardwalk shops, or businesses and restaurants elsewhere in OC. If you’ve ever been to a resort, you know they’re designed to keep visitors inside, within their own perimeters. And resorts don’t attract day-trippers—they’re looking for a lively boardwalk, entertainment, and unique shopping options, not a private, self-contained hotel with its own storefront and beachfront. A resort will give its guests little reason to explore the rest of Ocean City. 



The truth is, Mita’s plan isn’t about improving OC—it’s about applying pressure on government officials for tax breaks and zoning variances, and squeezing maximum profits for a select few, with small businesses and residents bearing the consequences.

Self-contained luxury resorts rely on alcohol sales. Mita’s ability to operate his proposed high-rise hotel, year-round, and turn a profit, is already questionable given the size and seasonability of our location. Without alcohol sales, it will become even more of a long shot. There’s no doubt that, before too long, he’ll be putting pressure on Ocean City’s long-standing commitment to being dry. Ocean City doesn’t need alcohol - our family-friendly traditions are one of the reasons we remain different and desirable to so many summer visitors who pick us out of the many choices along the south Jersey shore.

A 252-room hotel will create a severe parking crisis in Ocean City, especially during peak tourist season. Parking is already a major issue in OC. Mita has stated he will provide 375 parking spaces for 252 hotel rooms. By his own estimate, that’s one space per room, leaving 123 spaces for staff, visitors, and event guests. However, other hotels in town report that guests typically require 1.4 spaces per room, suggesting a potential shortfall and forcing overflow onto nearby streets and residential areas.

There are other viable options for the former amusement space that are more appropriate to our Boardwalk’s character, follow our zoning guidelines, and could bring much-needed entertainment. As part of its decision process, City Council has a responsibility to consider a host of viable alternatives before making any decisions around irreversible changes to the location’s zoning, which would not only change the family-friendly character of our cherished boardwalk but also potentially damage Ocean City’s valued claim as ‘America’s Favorite Family-Friendly’ vacation destination.

One more thoughtful way forward would be to focus on a much-needed update of OC’s Master Plan that would take into consideration both our city’s traditions and need for growth and smart development.

We hope the City Council considers all its options and the strong feelings of the many Ocean City residents who oppose the idea of enabling the inappropriate placement of a high-rise resort on our boardwalk.”

 Ocean City residents deserve a future that provides economic growth and opportunity for ALL—not just huge payouts for a few.

Mita suggested resort has no grounding in who we are. It will be massively tall, in a town of small buildings, where residents love their sunlight and the views of the ocean. It will dominate the beachfront in an area used by our beloved surfing community. It will tower over the historic Plaza Place neighborhood, and will inundate them with traffic and block them from the sun. And it would be insular, exclusive, in a town built on community, faith and family. It is like Mita has his own idea of who we should be, and is trying to bend our values to his.

It suggests that Mita doesn’t care about the community—he cares about making a profit. This also explains his numerous pitches for numerous hotels along the New Jersey shore, each pitch sounding the same, and many meeting huge resistance, because what he proposes is not what that town is. Moving forward with his self-serving high-rise hotel proposal is about money for a few, not about making OC better for all of us.

Big seaside projects often face significant financial hurdles, no matter how polished the vision may be. The OC Soleil resort is a good example of this. It had everything in place—permits, plans, prime location—and still couldn’t move forward with securing financing after several years of trying.

That alone should give City Council pause about Mita’s proposal, as his plan is even more costly. On top of financing, Mita’s proposed hotel would also have to overcome significant legal risks and environmental hurdles.



There’s also the very real possibility that—like the Soleil location—the site will sit empty, leaving a critical section of the boardwalk barren for years to come. Even if the plan were magically approved, the current structure would take a long time to demolish and a new one several years to build—at least two years, by Mita’s own estimate.