After years of neglect, the Ventnor Shopping Plaza on Wellington Ave has a new owner with a plan.
Ventnor Plaza now getting a major facelift.
Updated Ventnor Plaza will include Indoor Pickleball facility called ‘Pickle Juice’.
Developer Mark Greco tells DownbeachBUZZ that as of Dec. 23, 2022, the following have signed leases or Letters of Intent:
- Pickle Juice, Indoor Pickleball Facility
- Burger King
- Starbucks
- Ivy Nail Salon
- Casa Blanca Restaurant & Events
- Caring Inc Adult Daycare
- Little Sprouts Childcare
Negotiations continue with several other businesses that include a microbrewery, a laundromat, as well as other restaurants / eateries.
While meeting with vendors and contractors, Greco realized you can’t buy a cup of coffee at Ventnor Plaza. There’s nowhere to buy a slice of pizza, or anything else for that matter. Mark Greco is confident he’s going to fix that.
What about flooding? That marsh across the street can easily fill with back bay surge.
DownbeachBUZZ was pleased to learn that truckloads of dirt will raise the parking lot elevation. This should reduce and/or prevent flooding.
Greco will be adding drainage and raising the elevation. The parking lot will be elevated as well in order to comply with FEMA flood regulations. An irrigated landscape strip will surround the property in order to reduce flooding issues during high tide.
All new sidewalks. Even classy stone work on the front columns, creating a fresh new facade for ACME supermarket.
Did Neighbors Know?
Some neighbors within 200 ft of this project didn’t know of critical Ventnor Planning Board votes? It should be noted that the Ventnor Planning Board no longer provides live ZOOM video access to their meetings. No remote participation. Planning Board agendas often written in ‘code’, with little detail. Meeting minutes (summary) take weeks to be made public. Most Jersey shore towns are guilty of this.
The Ventnor Planning Board agreed to hold a meeting between local neighbors and Mr. Greco on Jan. 11, 2023.
Visit Ventnor Planning Board here.
Watch for upgrade to large display sign at main entrance. More modern and stylish.
For too long, the Ventnor shopping center had long-term vacancy issues. Approx 40% of Ventnor Plaza was empty.
There are indications that Ventnor and other South Jersey shore towns are attracting more full-time residents. This year-round community wants and needs a 1st class shopping & retail destination, says Greco.
About The Ventnor Plaza Property
Wellington Ave is a major gateway into the Downbeach towns of Ventnor and Margate.
Ventnor Plaza is anchored by a 58,000 square foot ACME. The shopping center was built in 1972 and remodeled in 1994. It covers 15 acres along Wellington Ave. Real estate developer and Ventnor resident Mark Greco bought the plaza with partners in June of 2022.
By adding several new businesses, our hopes are that customers will visit many of the stores in each visit and everyone will do well. Customers will have more choices. Less stops. Success should spill over into other adjacent businesses.
Contact: Mark L. Greco, MLG Realty, LLC.
Great news! These plans look fantastic. I don’t know Greco, but he’s giving our area a much needed first-class plaza. Finally won’t have to drive to mainland for a real Starbucks!
First class plaza? It sounds like it will be a much needed improvement but that seems a bit of an over the top characterization.
Changes sound great! I’ve been shopping at this center for over 50 years. I still miss Bradlee’s. Would love to see a super Wawa here.
Great news. Better improvement than what’s already there. Small steps….
I think a huge Wawa with gas could bring a lot of traffic to the Plaza. I don’t mean car traffic, I mean people. The WaWa in Ventnor is awful. It would be great to also get some clothing stores, a Sacko’s would be amazing too! Perhaps a Garden Store with the quality of Bob’s or Langs.
I think we need a store like Bradlee …. Alittle of everything! The work that has been done looks Great 😀
Love to see a Trader Joe’s
I’d love a million dollars and a red Porsche but that ain’t happening either. Trader Joe’s goes in high volume, higher end centers, not in a center with an existing supermarket and a seasonally driven economy.
Curious to see how raising the parking lot will affect Wellington Ave along with the houses that have back yards there.
Interesting to see FEMA approving this along with the state being such a high flood zone and structural issues.
Believe many people with the back yards there are full time residents.
Correct. Residents will have other issues to worry about along with the flooding.
The plan is to create two new openings right behind their backyards. Traffic right behind their fences to enter the plaza.
It will be a major hazard to residents having all kinds of cars, trucks and motorist that close.
Glad to see few people who can foresee flooding becoming real issue for those of us who actually live there full-time.
We’re excited about the new, but the old problems still exist. With lot being raised, where is that going to send the water? It sure isn’t going into the bay…. which already will be swollen due to the said flood water we’re speaking about.
How will flooding during high tides and storm surges affect Wellington Ave along with the residents whom back yard touch this?
Ugh what a waste
We need something like Marshall’s or TJ Max. I know a lot of people in the area would welcome one of these stores.
…and what happens the 6-7 months without the second homeowners and tourists, to those stores?
I just read many of the comments made by residents and one thing that seems to be lacking was the opportunity for many property owners to be heard on issues that directly affected them.
First and foremost I think all government departments such as planning & zoning should be available on line to give all residents the opportunity to attend meetings and be heard.
All seashore communities have very large non full time residents who often live many miles away and they simply do not have the opportunity to attend mid week meetings and thus are not heard. How would that harm anything?
It would be very easy for me as NORTH BEACH resident to think this sounds great but I think the surrounding owners concerns need to be addressed more carefully so it does turn out to great. Possible traffic and flooding issues need too carefully considered.
Last but not least is my concern over a brewery. Did anyone ask the Chief of police his opinion? Here we were a BYOB community for over 100 years and a few years back we changed that and allowed the three liquor licenses to be issued, even though our local police chief at the time did not agree with it. It included special regulations that said the licenses were being issued for restaurants not for bars. Yeah sure, just the opposite since both current license holders have very larger bars.
Even in the defense of those three establishments that spent any where from $75,000 to $125,000 for those licenses now a new competition comes into town without the need to buy a liquor license. Ventnor will regret this decision, wait and see.
Richard Gober
There is only one resident who is seasonal. Besides the brewery, the restaurant going in will also have alcohol. The plan is to bring traffic going into the plaza right behind the residents back gates. New openings. This is a huge safety issue for those residents. The developer is closing that one way entrance, the one across from the firehouse. For the new restaurant. And wants traffic to come in from behind the residents homes. Using the light at Little Rock. There is so much wrong with this traffic plan and the residents will be heard.