After years of hearings, approvals and legal challenges, construction has finally begun on the redevelopment of the long-vacant former CVS property in Ship Bottom.
Construction crews have been working this summer at the former pharmacy site at 702–716 Long Beach Blvd., where Wainwright Amusements plans to convert the building into a family entertainment center featuring a game zone, escape room, interactive XD theater and café.
The project is expected to open by the end of 2026. Wainwright Amusements is owner of Fantasy Island Amusement Park and Thundering Surf in nearby Beach Haven.
Construction on the long-vacant CVS site marks the end of a seven-year regulatory and legal process.
Municipal planning documents show the project calls for renovation of the existing structure rather than demolition, despite years of speculation about the site’s future.
A 2023 engineering review submitted to the Ship Bottom Land Use Board states that the applicant had previously received approval to renovate the existing commercial building and convert it into a family entertainment center.
The proposal first appeared before the Ship Bottom Land Use Review Board in 2019 under Docket No. 19:05.
Records show Wainwright Amusements’ application for the property at 702-716 Long Beach Blvd., identified as Block 107, Lot 9, was listed as new business on the board’s March 20, 2019, agenda.
The application was heard by the board multiple times over the following months.
Minutes from the board’s April 17, 2019, meeting detail the discussion of Wainwright Amusements’ special-reasons-use variance request for the former CVS site, reflecting the complexity of the project and the approvals required before construction could begin.
The project resurfaced in 2023 when Wainwright Amusements sought amended approvals.
An engineering review prepared for the Land Use Board described plans for a family entertainment center that would include a game zone, escape room, café and XD theater.
The amended application also proposed a 3,775-square-foot second-floor addition for storage related to the entertainment operation.
The amended application, identified as Docket No. 2023-14, was listed as a resolution item on the board’s December 2023 agenda.
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