PROJECTS UNDERWAY IN DOWNTOWN OCEAN CITY

Following up on our past two articles on new development and renovation going on in downtown Ocean City, we wish to provide you an update on other new projects underway in the downtown area.  There are several site plans that have been approved over the past two years, but we just wish to highlight those projects that have “broken ground”; meaning that are already underway or just started to be constructed.  As many know, an approved site plan does not necessarily mean a project will be built.  Many other factors come into play, particularly with market conditions and financing feasibility. These highlighted new projects include a variety of uses and two are public projects.

So, let’s feature these projects that are underway in the downtown area of Ocean City.  You will note that several of these projects include new seasonal housing!  Let’s start with projects to the south and work our way northwards.

104 Worcester Street –

The small weekly rental building on the north side of Worcester Street, just west of S. Baltimore Avenue, was demolished, and a new three-story structure has been permitted and under construction. These two residential uses with a townhouse look will be used for seasonal housing for employees of the Dumsers Dairyland.  The property is owned by Dumsers and will have first floor parking, too.  This project will provide thirty-nine (39) beds for these seasonal employees.   Adjacent to this project is the Dumsers Dairyland office and its ice cream manufacturing facility.  The project is expected to be completed for the 2025 summer season.

400 S. Baltimore Avenue

This multiuse project, on the southwest corner of S. Baltimore Avenue and Somerset Street, is being constructed by the Town of Ocean City for its new Ocean City Police Department facility. It is being referred to as OCPD Downtown Substation. The previous use was a public parking lot owned by the Town of Ocean City.  This new facility will contain first-floor office and public lobby space for OCPD employees as well as a garage for storage and repair for use for its bicycle unit.  The second floor will be for OCPD office, training, interview, and meeting space.  The third floor will be housing for city employees for seasonal use.  This third floor will provide housing for sixteen (16) City employees.  The building will have an elevator.

The parking will be located in the rear of the building.  A local nonprofit organization, the Ocean City Development Corporation, is charged with redeveloping downtown Ocean City and has partnered with the Town in acquiring grant funds and financing of this new facility.  The OCDC will be responsible for managing the residential uses on the upper floor once completed.

The private buses that have used this Somerset Street location for drop off/pick up of its customers from area hotels and campgrounds will continue to use this location. The bus shelter will remain.  There will also be public restrooms available.

This project is estimated to be completed for Summer 2025.

St. Louis Avenue and 3^rd Street –

As part of the next and final stage of redeveloping this popular Bayside Park at 3^rd Street is the construction of new administrative space and restrooms adjacent to the OC Skate Bowl. This impressive renovated park improvements were completed in this past year and opened for the 2024 summer season.  These park improvements included new playground equipment, inclusive playground with a communication board, music hut, basketball courts, tennis/pickleball courts, and renovated skate bowl improvements.   The newly improved park also provides access to the bayside boardwalk.  This park used to be known as the Downtown Recreation Complex. Along the Bayside Boardwalk is an ideal location for fishing and crabbing.  And a fishing permit is not required for this area.

This new construction building will contain public restrooms on the first floor.  Also on the first floor will be a “skate-in” skater lounge area which will provide shade for park skaters.  On the second floor there will be offices that are accessible by stairs and an elevator.  An observation deck will also be accessible for parents and other interested onlookers.  The construction of this building is expected to be completed for Summer 2025.

101 16^th Street

Underway for the past year has been the Hyatt West Hotel project located on the west side of Baltimore Avenue along the south side of 16th.  This new hotel will consist of sixty-three (63) hotel units. About fifty percent of these hotel units will include Queen Studios which will include a private kitchen. This new hotel will also contain an outdoor pool and lounge space. It is expected to be completed in Spring 2025.  

Guests of this hotel will have access to all of the amenities at the main hotel (Hyatt Place Ocean City/Oceanfront) located directly east on the boardwalk.  Such amenities include meeting space, indoor & outdoor pools, bars, interior veranda and more.    

2004 Philadelphia Avenue

This project, named Phillips House, was actually completed and opened for use in the summer of 2024. We wanted to bring this project to your attention as it was not referenced in our past two updates, but does carry significant impact for Ocean City for this past year and future years.   This project was the former popular Phillips Crab House Restaurant.  The Phillips Restaurant closed in 2021. This three-story building has been converted into multi-family housing units that served seasonal employees last summer.  Most of the exterior look of the building remained unchanged.

This building contains 15 multi-family units, containing three- and four-bedroom units as well as a manager’s unit.  This new space served two hundred eighty-seven (287) residents this past summer, most of them foreign students working on a J-1 visa.  The common areas contain a lounge area, laundry facilities, and vending areas. This interior space was fully rebuilt with new plumbing, electric, air conditioning and sprinklers systems.  There is also office space and storage space provided.

At this time, this project is available for off-season leases for a cost of $600 per month per room (See picture containing contact information for such a lease.)  However, the intent is to again to have these units available for seasonal employees in May 2025.

There are plans for the residential units on the east side of this building, as a future redevelopment phase, but a site plan has not been approved to date. 

So, until our next update on new development and renovation projects going on in the downtown area of Ocean City.  Enjoy these upcoming holidays!!