By MADDY VITALE
The Bayside Center has long been an integral part of Ocean City’s history. Dating to 1916, the three-story mansion at 520 Bay Ave. and the green space surrounding it have been home to countless activities and events.
Over the years, the city has maintained the historic building, repairing and renovating it. The city added central air-conditioning to the building and also refurbished the exterior, including the foundation, doors and windows, several years ago. There was also a plan to install a new fire-suppression system, among other upgrades.
But the amount of work needed and the cost that would accompany it for the 107-year-old building has Mayor Jay Gillian and others in his administration thinking it may be time for a new building.
Gillian spoke about the possible future of the Bayside Center during a Second Ward meeting hosted by Councilman Tom Rotondi on March 25.
“The Bayside Center is just falling apart,” Gillian said of the building's deteriorating condition.
He pointed out that a new fire suppression system would cost anywhere from $200,000 to $300,000.
“It is too much bite for the taxpayers,” he said.
An area of the center served as a museum for the Ocean City Beach Patrol.
The house was originally built on the 1.35-acre property around 1916 when owned by the Diesel family. In 1958, the Wheaton family purchased the house for use as a summer property.
The Wheaton family owned the property until it was purchased by Cape May County in 1995 through the New Jersey Open Space and Farmland Preservation Program.
It was converted into the Ocean City Bayside Center. Ocean City has operated it for years since as a combination museum, community center and nature center through a long-term lease with Cape May County.
Gillian told the audience at the Second Ward meeting that he spoke with Cape May County Commissioner Director Leonard Desiderio and Vice Director E. Marie Hayes about their thoughts on a new building.
“I’ve been talking with Commissioner Director Desiderio and Vice Director Marie Hayes to see what we can do with the county land that would benefit the city,” Gillian said. “I talked to the county about designing a building there.”
Ocean City Environmental Commission members plant a butterfly garden on the Bayside Center grounds in June of 2022.
The mayor said one idea would be to use the current footprint of the Bayside Center, including its foundation for what would be a new building.
“It would be wider. But it wouldn’t take away views from people,” he said of the bay views. “There could be bigger rooms for meetings.”
The Bayside Center has been closed to the public for about two years, in part, because of a need for a new fire suppression system, as well as some accessibility issues.
The bayside boat docks and the green space that surrounds the building are still used for recreation. Sailing lessons and bayside camps are offered during the summer as part of the recreation activities.
Gillian said while the future of the Bayside Center is not definite, the hope is to create a building there to suit the needs of the city and county and give tourists and residents a place to enjoy activities and events once again.
He noted that city continues to maintain the grounds, especially since several camps utilize the property.
Sailing camps are among the recreation activities still held on the grounds of the Bayside Center. (Photo courtesy of OCSF)
