WILDWOOD – The gateway into Wildwood is coming together, and two vacant lots may soon see development.
After the city and county completed a $14 million combined project to raise the road and improve the aesthetics of Rio Grande Avenue, the main artery into the Wildwoods, large empty private lots on the north side of the street have left the project feeling anything but complete.
Now, some of that land may be developed. Plans call for a Sinclair gas station, owned by Riggins, at the corner of Rio Grande and Hudson avenues.
Next door, at the corner of Rio Grande and Park avenues, there is a proposed drive-thru Starbucks that would open for summer 2023, said Mayor Peter Byron. Previously, there had been a plan for a Popeye’s there, but that fell through.
There is also a large group of lots west of these projects, which are owned by Tom Byrne, where the Tomcat Restaurant and mini-golf course used to be. The land is currently being leased and used as a staging area for construction equipment for projects elsewhere in the city. Byrne said the land is not on the market now, but he has had inquiries and would consider selling soon.
Byrne said he would not develop the land himself but likes having some control over what would go on the lots and hopes that an effort would be made by the buyer/developer to design the project to fit the city’s unique style.
