OCEAN CITY, Md. - It was a
chilly first day of spring in Ocean City, but great weather to dust off the
cash registers and get ready for business.
The owner of the Malibu
Surf Shop expects plenty of profits, especially with the Jersey Shore still
trying to recover from Superstorm Sandy.
"I think we will see some
tourists coming down that normally go to those destinations that may come down
here instead. It's a terrible way to get business, but I think it may impact us
a little bit. I think everybody's optimistic about this year," he said.
But a rough start to the
season for Donnie McLane's family business, after an early morning fire ripped
through their "Fashions For Less" store.
"We're hoping it's
not going to be too much of a loss, but if it is a total loss, it'll hurt us
for a little bit. We were really hoping on opening up this weekend. It was a
huge success last year," he said.
A lot is riding on the
success of the new $6 million boardwalk, with hopes it will bring more foot
traffic. But with construction expected to finish in April, the Howard Johnson
Hotel admits it's a bit of a setback, and had to lower their prices. The city's
engineer tells WMDT there were some minor complaints about the two-year project,
but overall, a good reception from businesses.
The fire at the "Fashions
For Less" store broke out Wednesday morning shortly before 10 AM. We're told
fire crews had it under control within 20 minutes. The blaze was confined to
that one store - damages appear to be extensive, but we have yet to hear back
from the fire marshall on the cause. No injuries were reported.
We're told the boardwalk
construction is right on schedule and should be completed by the end of April. It
will be closed from 10th street to 15th street this week. Next week, 11th
street to 15th street will be closed.
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