Where the Ocean City Boardwalk on the Jersey Shore once stretched over the dunes from St. Charles Place south to Fifth Street, only a skeletal frame remains, made up of scattered supports, piles of wooden rubble, and splintered boards crushed into the sand by heavy construction equipment.
The removal of this portion of the boardwalk is the first step in a two-part renovation of the northern end of Ocean City's most popular manmade attraction.
BreakingAC.com, an online news source covering Atlantic City and other nearby beach communities, reported Nov. 2, 2025, that the $4.2 million project is part of the nearly $4.9 million grant awarded to Ocean City from New Jersey's $100 million Boardwalk Preservation Fund.
The fund also granted $20 million for renovations in Atlantic City as well as $7.1 million to Ventnor and $1.2 million to Brigantine.
The work in Ocean City will include new foundation pilings, decking, stairs, railings and entry ramps for people with disabilities to better access the boardwalk. The upgrades will not increase the boardwalk's width.
The construction contractor for the project, L. Feriozzi Concrete Co. of Atlantic City, located northeast of Ocean City, is scheduled to complete the project by next spring in time for the start of the 2026 tourism season.
Ocean City Mayor Jay Gillian said the second phase of the project, designed to renovate the boardwalk from 14th Street south to 16th Street, will begin after most beachgoers are gone at the end of next summer.
"Crews are working on this section from the ground up, removing old decking, replacing structural supports and ensuring every access ramp is fully ADA-compliant, so all residents and visitors can safely enjoy Ocean City's most iconic landmark," Gillian said in a video posted to Facebook.
In place of crumbling boardwalk decking, resilient, longer-lasting materials will be installed. Deteriorating pilings and boardwalk infrastructure also will be upgraded, and an existing section of the board is due to be expanded.
Gillian added that the reconstruction of the Ocean City Boardwalk from Second Street to Fifth Street continues to make good progress as its demolition is nearly complete. The project remains on track to be finished before the end of March 2026, he noted.
Henry Dimmick, a longtime Ocean City resident and frequent boardwalk visitor, told BreakingAC.com that it feels strange to be on the beach without the familiar stretch of boards along the dunes.
Still, he said he appreciates the city's efforts to keep the boardwalk in good condition.
"Somebody has to pay attention to everything here in town, including the boardwalk," said Dimmick. "The boardwalk was old in this section and has taken a lot of damage over the years. It's good to take care of [it]. I think it keeps the town alive."
On a recent day, Dimmick said he watched the structure's demolition for hours, calling it an "impressive process."
To remove it, crews cut the decking into sections, then hauled it to Fourth Street to be broken up and loaded onto trucks.
As a result, only small sections of the boardwalk, surrounding the existing light poles, still remain. Later, those same Atlantic City Electric lights will be replaced with decorative pole lighting as part of the renovation and be maintained by Ocean City.
In speaking to BreakingAC.com, George Savastano, the city's business administrator, said the new boardwalk light poles will look similar to those in the downtown shopping district.
"Managing the system directly will allow the city to keep the boardwalk well-lit and beautifully maintained year-round," said Gillian.
Ocean City residents T.O. and Elsie Epps walked to Fifth Street and the boardwalk on a recent day to check out the construction site. They, too, said they are glad the project is under way and described the view of the torn-up boards as remarkable.
"The boardwalk was in bad shape and needed to be repaired, so we're happy this is happening," said T.O. Epps.
Elsie Epps added, "We've been coming here for over 30 years. We've seen the boardwalk under repair, but only a few boards at a time. We've never seen a total renovation like this before."
