By Sarah Fertsch
For generations of Ocean City families, the recreation area at 34th Street has been a familiar place for playground trips, pickup basketball games and afternoons spent on the tennis courts. Now, the longtime neighborhood landmark is being completely reimagined.
The former Sandcastle Park has been demolished to make way for an approximately $8 million recreation complex that will dramatically expand the activities available on the block.
Construction is underway, with city officials targeting completion in time for the summer 2027 season.
Rather than simply replacing aging playground equipment, Ocean City is rebuilding the property from the ground up. Mayor Jay Gillian described the project as a renovation of the entire block “curb to curb” during a town hall meeting earlier this year.
Plans call for a much larger playground, new and renovated sports courts, family restrooms, shaded areas, gathering spaces and facilities that could turn the site into a destination for recreation and community events.
More than a new playground
One of the biggest changes will be the size of the playground itself. Gillian said the new play area will be about twice as large as the original. The design will incorporate a Martin Z. Mollusk theme, bringing one of Ocean City’s most recognizable hometown characters into the new park.
Martin Z. Mollusk has been part of Ocean City tradition for more than half a century, famously emerging each spring to predict whether summer will arrive early. City officials have said the theme will give the park more of an unmistakably Ocean City identity.
Earlier plans for the property included five pickleball courts, six tennis courts, two basketball courts and a specialized dunk court, along with a large rubberized playground surface. A multipurpose building was also proposed with restrooms, meeting areas and space for social gatherings.
As the project evolved, city officials detailed a configuration that includes turf and hard-surface courts, renovated restroom and storage facilities, a small stage and turf gathering area for events. At least one basketball court is being designed to accommodate adaptive recreation. Shade is also a significant part of the redesign. Plans include covered areas intended to give families relief from the summer sun.
The result will be less of a traditional neighborhood playground and more of a multi-generational recreation center, with amenities for young children, teenagers and adults.
A project years in the making
Public recreation on the property has deep roots. Records from the Ocean City Historical Museum show that the Sandcastle Park area has been used as a public recreation site since 1948.
While equipment and facilities were added or replaced through the decades, city officials said much of the existing infrastructure had reached the end of its useful life.
Plans for the latest overhaul have also changed substantially since the project was first unveiled.
In 2025, the city was anticipating an approximately $6.5 million project and hoped construction could be completed for the summer of 2026. At that time, Cape May County commissioners approved $2.5 million in Open Space funding toward the work.
By 2026, the scope and estimated price had grown. City officials put the overall investment at about $8 million and said county assistance toward the project had increased. Difficulties obtaining materials, including specialized playground equipment, also contributed to pushing the construction schedule back.
The old recreation area has now been removed, clearing the way for construction of its replacement.
Recreation away from the Boardwalk
The project is also part of a broader effort to provide attractions and community activities outside Ocean City’s downtown and Boardwalk districts.
The 34th Street corridor serves residents, second homeowners and vacationers in the southern half of the island, while also functioning as one of the major gateways into Ocean City.
Gillian has said the city wants to create more activity in neighborhood areas such as 34th Street, West Avenue and farther south around 52nd Street instead of requiring families to head downtown for entertainment and events.
That makes the new recreation complex particularly significant. Pickleball and tennis courts can draw adults throughout the year, while the playground, basketball facilities and gathering spaces can serve families. A stage and event area also give the city another potential venue for programming outside of its traditional downtown locations.
City officials have previously discussed using the improved facilities for regional events as well. During planning for the project, Community Services Director Dan Kelchner said Ocean City hoped to continue working with Special Olympics organizations and potentially host regional pickleball competition at the renovated complex.
A new chapter for a familiar corner
The disappearance of the old Sandcastle Park may be jarring for generations of families accustomed to seeing the playground at 34th Street.
But Ocean City is betting that its replacement will become an even bigger part of community life.
If construction remains on schedule, families returning to Ocean City in summer 2027 will find a dramatically different 34th Street recreation area.
After nearly eight decades of recreation on the site, the next generation of Sandcastle Park is beginning to take shape.
