South Jersey shore town redevelopment plan finally gets new funding

In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy in 2012, many South Jersey Shore Towns had to make short and long-term plans to handle the damage from the storm, along with recalibrate infrustructure to minimize the impact of future storms.

Many of the Coastal Communities are small towns in terms of operating budgets and tax revenues. This is one of the reasons why some Shore Towns keep raising the cost of parking each summer in order to generate more revenue for the city budget.

After the original project was delayed for almost a decade, it now has the funding that this South Jersey Community needs

One of the four towns that comprise The Wildwoods is the City of Wildwood Crest. The primary business district stretches along New Jersey Avenue from Heather Road to Columbine Road. The South Jersey Coastal Community originally wanted to modernize this area into "Crest Station" to creat more parking areas, and more space for the local businesses.

The Crest Station project, originally proposed in 2018, was delayed due to the COVID-19 Pandemic in 2020. For many New Jersey Shore Towns, reviving their seasonal economies in the aftermath of the COVID-19 Lockdowns became the priority until everything locally and regionally stabilized.

Thanks to the Cape May County Commissioners, a $12.9 Million roadwork contract has been awarded to finally begin the makeover of Wildwood Crest's business district. Starting in Fall 2026, the section of New Jersey Avenue between Cresse Avenue and Rambler Road will begin seeing construction crews work to modernize and redesign the roadways.

Wildwood Crest Mayor Don Cabrera told the Cape May County Herald that the plan is for the project to finish by the Spring of 2028 with the following improvements:

*Landscaped Median
*More Parking Areas for Local Businesses
*New light poles and crosswalks

Construction crews already began this winter, replacing sanitation sewer lines in Wildwood Crest, and replacing water lines in Wildwood along New Jersey Avenue. This roadwork is a precursor to the $12.9 Million project approved by the Cape May County Commissioners.

New Jersey's southernmost county may not always get the most publicity, but Cape May County has a lot to offer to both vacationers and South Jersey locals alike: