Plans are in the works to bring an open-air tiki bar/restaurant concept to the present site of the Ocean Sands Motel (3710 Ocean Avenue) in central Wildwood. If approved, the motel would be demolished to make way for the new entity.
The company behind the application, Delaware-based GMH Restaurant Holdings IV, LLC, owns and operates The Point in Somers Point and Sea Isle City, and has targeted 5 Mile Beach for its third location.
The project will be reviewed, and potentially voted upon, by the Wildwood Planning & Zoning Board on Monday, October 2.
The Point debuted in Somers Point in 2019 (998 Bay Avenue) and expanded to Sea Isle in 2021 (10 43rd Street, the former location of the famed Springfield Inn).
According to its official website, the South Florida-inspired tiki bar and restaurant concept has become “one of the Jersey Shore’s hottest attractions, bringing positive vibes in a tropical tiki oasis. The Point offers casual island-style dining and refreshing cocktails under the stars, with live music and unmatched atmosphere.”
One concern about this potential addition is parking, though there are several lots in the area (including the aforementioned Smitty’s and several owned by the Morey Organization). To address this, the application includes provisions for dedicated off-street parking for employees and the creation of additional street parking through the removal of an existing curb along the Garfield Avenue frontage.
Obviously, a such a project - involving both the loss of a 60-year-old “Doo Wop” motel and the creation of an entirely new entity - would have the potential for major transformative impact in one of the island’s most tourism-focused areas.
The Ocean Sands Motel is a classic two-story, L-shaped motel situated one block from the Boardwalk along Garfield Avenue, where it stretches from Ocean Ave (office) about three quarters of the way to Atlantic Ave.
Distinctive by its diagonal window sashes and mid-century carport, the motel dates back to 1961 as the one-story Lincoln Motel, originally built as an annex for the neighboring Hotel Lincoln.
Owner (and former Wildwood mayor) Harry Steele sold the motel in the late 1970’s. The new proprietors added a second floor that matched the first; from there, the Ocean Sands would remain virtually untouched for the next 40+ years.
The aging hotel eventually faded into history and is today the location of Smitty’s Parking, neighboring the Ocean Sands to the immediate north. The parking lot, a separate entity, is not included in the tiki bar proposal.
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