Philadelphia developer BG Capital will renovate and reopen the Isle of Capri Motel in North Wildwood, one of a dwindling number of the Jersey Shore town's Doo Wop-style buildings that once defined an era. The 20-unit motel, which will be renamed the Seaport Inn, is expected to be ready for business in the summer of 2022.
Wildwood bar and restaurant Shamrock Beef & Ale closed last year after nearly 80 years at the Jersey Shore, but its original structure on Pacific Avenue will be relocated and preserved, owner Tom Gerace said. The building is a surviving example of Victorian Queen Anne resort architecture and first served as the Berwind Hotel. Gerace and preservationists in Wildwood worked with developer BG Capital to keep the property intact and move it to a new site nearby on Jan. 10.
BG Capital acquired the property in January and determined that preservation was not fiscally responsible or appropriate for future plans, according to the Cape May County Herald. Wildwood Mayor Pete Byron acknowledged the loss of a historical building, but said the city needs to be more developer-friendly.
Additional demolition work on the school building, located on the west side of the property, still remains to be completed.
This week, BG Capital shared multiple renderings and initial project details with Wildwood 365, explaining that the homes would run east to west from Pacific to New Jersey avenues, and north to south from Magnolia to Glenwood avenues.