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The North Wildwood Zoning Board voted 7-2 to approve a plan to replace the Chateau Bleu Motel with three single-family homes, the Doo Wop Preservation League announced Thursday, March 20.
The decision, announced by the Doo Wop Preservation League on March 20, 2025, marks the loss of one of the East Coast’s finest examples of mid-century resort architecture, the organization said.
‘A Special Place That Brings a Smile’
The Chateau Bleu, a National Historic Register-listed property, is considered a hallmark of Wildwood’s famous "Doo Wop" architecture, known for its bold colors, space-age design, and retro neon signage.
“It’s one of the finest examples of mid-century resort architecture on the East Coast,” said John Donio, president of the Doo Wop Preservation League, in a Facebook post ahead of the zoning board vote.
“It’s a special place, and it just brings a smile to your face.”
Despite efforts from preservationists, Surf Capital, LLC, the motel’s owner, moved forward with plans to demolish the building and construct single-family homes, the DWPL said.
A Call for Change
The Doo Wop Preservation League, a nonprofit dedicated to protecting the Wildwoods’ 1950s and 1960s architecture, said the zoning board had no legal way to block the demolition.
“There are no local ordinances in North Wildwood (or Wildwood, Wildwood Crest, or Diamond Beach, for that matter) that protect historic properties from demolition,” the group said in a statement.
The league urged local residents to take action if they want to prevent more historic properties from being lost.
“If you don’t like what is happening, and you are a local resident of the Wildwoods, it’s really up to you to demand change.”
NJ Advance Media says the motel's current owner plans to sell the Surf Avenue property, which was last purchased in 2022 for $1.65 million.
One supporter called the decision "a crime and a sin.
"How can a place like North Wildwood -- which depends for its livelihood on visitors who come solely to experience the unique retro charm of the place -- be led by decision-makers who have no interest in preserving that character?" he wrote on the DWPL's Facebook post.
"Every city has something special! Paris has the EffileTower, New York Has the Statue of Liberty, St Louis has the Arch, Rome Has the Colosseum," another wrote. "Why is Wildwood purposely destroying itself by tearing down the main thing it is known for...the largest concentration of Mid Century Architecture in the world? It is time for the elected officials of the Wildwoods to step up and show leadership for a change!"
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