Ocean City Council approves ordinance that expands Convention center, improves public works campus
The Ocean City Council unanimously passed an ordinance on the second reading that would let the town go to the bond market, involving a convention center expansion, shortly after January 1, on Monday.
According to Councilman Dennis Dare, the projects include a Powell Convention Center expansion. He says a recent study found that they have enough meeting space, but the center lacks enough exhibit area. The expansion will reportedly enlarge the existing large exhibit hall to the north.
It's set to cost $34.4 million with the town contributing $14 million and the state: $20.4 million. The town's portion is reportedly 100% funded by their one half percent tax on food and beverage in the town. Dare says those are the same arrangements that have funded past Convention Center improvements.
The ordinance also includes public works campus improvements. Dare says, the Maryland Mass Transit Administration is their partner in expanding and improving their transit facilities where their bus operation is on the Public Works Campus on 65th Street bayside. The project is estimated at $29 million. The M.T.A. will fund $18 million and the town will fund $11 million.
The project includes garage storage of the bus fleet, maintenance of the fleet, administrative facilities and replacement of the impacted Public Works facilities. The ordinance lastly includes the Public Works South Facility.
That project replaces a current facility at the corner of Philadelphia Avenue and South First Street that has reached its peak and is reportedly on a parcel too small to accommodate their Boardwalk tram and Beach Cleaning work. Dare says it is being relocated to a new facility estimated to cost $3 million at St. Louis Avenue and Second Street.
When asked why he voted for the ordinance, Dare says, "I voted for the Convention Center expansion because it will expand the shoulder season business for the town. The State of Maryland is investing in it for the same reason and the large return it will see in the form of new taxes from the new business. The Convention Center has become vital in providing economic stimulus in the spring and fall for our businesses.
The Public Works provides the back of the house services that keeps Ocean City running. The public may see the outside of these facilities and they see the result of the work such as the clean beach, the Tram running on the Boardwalk and the Busses running on Coastal Highway. They don't necessarily think of what it takes to provide these services until the services cease to operate.
The Public Works projects replace end of life facilities with state of the art expanded facilities that will serve the town for the next 50 years. To not vote for these projects would have been irresponsible."
