Will Ocean City build high rise hotels on the Boardwalk? Both current mayor Jay Gillian and Councilman Keith Hartzell, mayoral candidate, reject the idea, which came up at a recent City Council meeting.
According to the Press of Atlantic City, the issue of high rise hotels came up at a recent meeting. Hartzell said that he had been approached by three property owners wanting to build hotels on the Boardwalk.
"I don't want Boardwalk Disney. I want Ocean City just the way it is," Hartzell said at the meeting, according to the Press. "I said I'm dead set against it and I'll do anything in my power to stop it."
Residents also feared that hotels would bring alcohol into the dry Ocean City, the Press said.
Gillian was not present at the meeting, but gave a statement to the Press.
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"There may be people who want to build hotels or high-rises in Ocean City — but I do not, and I never did. There may be people who want to see alcohol in Ocean City — but not me," Gillian told the Press. "I don't want to talk about what other people want to do, especially when those things are not permitted by law. I want to talk about my 12-year record as mayor."