Wildwood Mayor Pete Byron highlights city's economic successes at regional panel

PRESS RELEASE

WILDWOOD – On Wednesday, October 19, 2022, Wildwood Mayor Pete Byron joined Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small, Sr., Atlantic County Economic Alliance Executive Director Lauren H. Moore, Jr., and County of Cape May Economic Development Manager Joe Molineaux at the Sheraton Atlantic City Convention Center Hotel to discuss Southern New Jersey Economic Development projects and their impact on the region. 

“When I took office as Mayor, I and my fellow Commissioners, along with our administrative team, recognized the need to channel our limited financial and technical resources in formulating a strategy for revitalization and reinvestment centered on our key assets,” noted Byron.  

Byron pointed out that through his Administration’s work and the partnerships formed, the City has been able to repair critical infrastructure, make needed improvements to public spaces, and begin planning new projects. “Between the ongoing reconstruction of the Boardwalk and several infrastructure improvements alone, over $60 million in outside funding has been invested in Wildwood in recent years.”

Mayor Byron has been on the forefront of the long anticipated Pacific Avenue Redevelopment Project which seeks to revitalize the historic downtown area for commerce and housing. The area is composed of 315 properties spanning 56 blocks along the Pacific Avenue corridor, from Cresse Avenue to 26th Avenue and has already attracted investors who have begun building on the avenue. 

Wildwood is also making progress on the “Back Bay” Project which includes remediation of a landfill. The City is working with NJDOT on dredging, capping and closing the landfill by March 2024 for purposes of development. The City anticipates that at least 7 acres will be prepared for development, with the potential for more. 

Additionally, Mayor Byron has secured 8 million dollars from the state to rebuild two different sections of the famed Wildwood Boardwalk. Phase I concluded in May 2022. Phase II began this Fall. 

The beach, boardwalk, back bay and diverse business base have been the City’s primary focus, Byron said. “I pointed out that our collective goal has always been to not just improve the economics of the City, but to enhance the quality of life for our residents at the same time,” he stated.  

“By focusing on a number of important projects that do both of those things, we have been able to leverage our limited municipal funds with, literally, millions of dollars in federal and state grants, along with county funding.”

“The work we are accomplishing is resulting in significant physical, functional and aesthetic improvements in our City, and we are seeing a notable shift from the longstanding downward trend in ratables to a swift rise in the value of real estate,” Byron concluded. “As a result, there is a growing confidence in Wildwood being a good investment. And that’s something we can all be proud of.”

The panel was organized by the Chamber of Commerce of Southern New Jersey.