Council Gives Final Approval for Ocean City to Purchase Gas Station

Ocean City, NJ -- The BP Gas Station on West 9th Street will become Ocean City property as long as the agreement between the city and the gas station’s current owners is finalized.

City Council unanimously approved a proposed ordinance on second reading authorizing the city to set aside $500,000 and borrow $475,000 to purchase the abandoned gas station Thursday night.

According to Chief Financial Officer Frank Donato, the agreement has not yet been signed. It is expected to be signed on Friday. If the deal doesn’t go through for any reason, the ordinance can be revoked.

The ordinance was approved, 7-0, after the administration assured council and the public the city wouldn’t take on any added responsibility for cleaning up the property. A $25,000 down payment is included to help make the property “presentable,” but it would be up to the current property owner to remove the gas tanks and clean up contamination, if any.

“We won’t buy a dirty property,” Ocean City Mayor Jay Gillian said. “We’ve said that from the beginning. It’s their responsibility.”

The gas station is one of three abandoned properties on 9th Street that the city has been struggling with for about a year.

City Council gave the city greater power to deal with abandoned properties in the city last year.

That ordinance established an “abandoned properties” list, and gave the city the right to put the properties on that list up for tax sale, send it into foreclosure, rehabilitate the property and take action against the owner, among other actions.

The city also said it would take inquiries from anyone interested in those properties.

Real Estate firm Keller Williams is in negotiations to buy the Exxon gas station. Negotiations are ongoing concerning the Getty gas station.