Ocean City's Long-Delayed Soleil Resort Pulls Building Permit, Prepares for Construction

OCEAN CITY, N.J. — After roughly two decades of proposals, opposition, litigation and delays, one of Ocean City's longest-running development projects appears closer than ever to becoming reality.

Developers of the Soleil Resort, a six-story condo-hotel planned next to the historic Flanders Hotel, have pulled a building permit and participated in a pre-construction meeting with the city in August, according to Ocean City officials.

The currently approved project at 1101 Ocean Ave., near 11th Street and the Boardwalk, calls for 111 condominium-hotel units and 391 parking spaces.

City Solicitor Dorothy McCrosson recently outlined the status of the project during a town hall meeting hosted by Mayor Jay Gillian, saying the development has gone through years of reviews by the Planning Board and City Council.

Construction is expected to begin with the project's parking garage, with McCrosson saying she was told the garage could be available for parking by next summer.

That would mark a significant step for a development that has been discussed in various forms for approximately 20 years.

A Project Dating Back Two Decades

Plans for a condo-hotel on the property stretch back to at least 2005.

A similar proposal received city approval in 2007 but ultimately stalled after its developers were unable to secure financing.

A new development team later revived the concept.

The project encountered significant opposition during Planning Board hearings in 2016, with critics raising concerns about its size, traffic, parking and whether the proposed development would actually operate as a hotel rather than primarily as residential condominiums.

The Planning Board rejected the proposal, but the developer challenged that decision in court.

A Superior Court judge subsequently ruled that the project complied with the requirements of the city's redevelopment zone and ordered the Planning Board to approve it.

The board granted preliminary approval in October 2017 and final site-plan approval in May 2021.

As part of that final approval, the developer was required to begin construction within five years.

The timing is significant now: City officials say the developer has pulled the building permit as that deadline approaches.

What Exactly Is a Condo-Hotel?

Although Soleil's individual units would be privately owned as condominiums, the development is required to operate as a hotel offering transient accommodations.

McCrosson said the project must provide hotel services including a front desk, laundry and maid service.

Restrictions are also intended to prevent owners from simply using their units as full-time residences. McCrosson said owners would be limited to occupying their units for 30 days during each season, with the year divided into four seasons.

The distinction between a hotel and a traditional condominium complex was one of the central issues surrounding the project during earlier Planning Board proceedings.

Parking for the Flanders

The parking garage could also have a significant impact on the neighboring Flanders Hotel.

The Flanders currently uses part of the Soleil property for parking, and a longstanding deed restriction requires 152 parking spaces on the property to be available to the Flanders.

The city is expected to work with Flanders management and its condominium association on parking arrangements while Soleil is under construction.

Gillian has said the city has considered using a practice field near Carey Stadium at Sixth Street along with shuttle transportation if temporary parking is needed during construction.

The approved garage would eventually provide parking for both Soleil and the Flanders.

Property Remains Listed for Sale

There is another unusual wrinkle surrounding the project: the development site remains on the commercial real estate market.

The 1.89-acre property was listed for sale in March 2025 for $25 million. A current LoopNet listing continues to market the property as a fully approved, “shovel-ready” 111-unit condo-hotel development.

The listing describes construction in three phases: a 35-unit east tower, a 29-unit west tower and a 47-unit north tower.

Proposed amenities include a pool and sun deck, rooftop deck, spa, fitness center, restaurant, room and maid service, 24-hour security and a rental program.

State environmental records also show approvals associated with a six-story development containing 111 units, a deli or cafe, swimming pool and parking garage.

Is the Long Wait Finally Ending?

There have been predictions before that construction of Soleil was imminent.

After the court-ordered approval in 2017, developers expressed hopes of beginning construction the following year. Years later, final site-plan approval was granted in 2021, but the property remained a parking lot.

An August report indicated developers were eyeing a groundbreaking this fall, although South Jersey NewsBeat has not independently confirmed a specific groundbreaking date.

This time, however, there are more tangible signs of movement: a building permit has been pulled and a pre-construction meeting has taken place.

If construction proceeds, Soleil would transform a large parking lot immediately off the Boardwalk into one of Ocean City's most significant new hospitality developments in years.

And after roughly two decades of plans, hearings, lawsuits and delays, the question surrounding Soleil may finally be changing from whether it will ever be built to when construction will begin.