A major construction project at the corner of 34th Street and Asbury Avenue is taking shape this summer, and by next spring, Ocean City residents and visitors will be able to eat at the Sweet Spot, a new eatery featuring breakfast, lunch and specialty desserts.
The project is a labor of love for retired developer Nick George, who will live in one of three new residential units above the restaurant.
George purchased the corner lot at Ocean City’s south-end gateway for $925,000 in 2013. The lot was the former home of Pino’s Grille, which lost its roof to Tropical Storm Irene in 2011 and never reopened after the record flooding of Superstorm Sandy in October 2012.
George said the storm damage required him to start from scratch in constructing the new building.
He anticipates an opening in May 2015 for the Sweet Spot, which will serve breakfast until 2 p.m., a light lunch and frozen yogurt, pastries, smoothies, coffees and cappuccinos until midnight.
An Ocean City property owner since 1984, George said he hopes to bring a new business to the quiet south end of the island and employ local residents. He said he misses the days when Tory’s Ice Cream Parlor was still in business in that part of the island (the owners are now running the Chatterbox downtown).
He said the business will be seasonal, but he hopes to extend the season to the seven months from May to Thanksgiving.
The project, designed by architect James E. Chadwick, and will include three residential units on the upper floors. George said he’ll occupy one as a dream retirement home. The other two will be 2,200-square-foot, four-bedroom seasonal rental units.
For more information on the project or the rental units, call George at 609-517-6115.
