Tenants left to fend for themselves as Jersey Shore senior complex crumbles
⚠️ Fewer than a dozen tenants remain at North Wildwood’s Marina Bay Towers, a 143-unit senior complex.
❗ A broken elevator left tenants calling the fire department to get downstairs, a resident’s relative says.
🏗️ New permits and a sewer agreement could signal progress, but construction has yet to begin next door.
NORTH WILDWOOD — Fewer than a dozen tenants are left to fend for themselves in the infamous Marina Bay Towers, a 143-unit senior living complex overlooking the North Wildwood Marina that is languishing after years of litigation and stalled plans.
Concrete plans for the Marina Bay Towers were first made in the late 1990s, according to a 1997 New York Times report. Hopeful developers built the complex at the turn of the century with help from New Jersey, including a $1.47 million state grant and $1.4 million in tax credits.
But it's sat in disrepair for longer than not.
Residents have complained about mold and leaks for well over a decade. In 2015, five tenants sent a letter to the editor of the Cape May County Herald, saying that the building had long been falling down around them.
Even though a padlock is chained to the building's entrance, it's easy to see inside; a look through the large first-floor windows reveals debris scattered throughout. Those conditions play a big role in the building's notoriously poor reputation.
Photos shared with New Jersey 101.5 show the conditions in other parts of the Marina Bay Towers.
Couches and tables sit on their sides in hallways and abandoned rooms. Pink fiberglass insulation in the walls is exposed, and insulation not in the walls is instead on the floor.
Seniors had to call the fire department just to get downstairs
Only a few months ago, residents couldn't even leave their apartments without help. The elevator broke, and it took months to fix. Tenants needed to call the fire department every time they wanted to get downstairs, according to Diane Veteri.
"No one should have to live like that," Veteri said.
Veteri says her 86-year-old aunt has lived at the Marina Bay Towers for 14 years. The woman pays $545 a month in rent, which includes water. She pays for electric, gas, and internet.
Unfortunately, North Wildwood officials say the city's hands are tied because the property has been in litigation for about two decades.
City solicitor Michael Donohue said tenants can report anything they believe is a code violation, but code enforcement can only do so much. Donohue said the city has "aggressively" taken action to fix elevators and other specific issues when they arise, and has worked hard to get the project restarted.
Approved in 2020, the Ocean Bay Spires still haven’t broken ground
In 2020, Marina Bay Towers developer Paul Cocoziello gained approval from the city to build new apartments on the property next door. Along with building the new Ocean Bay Spires, Cocoziello would renovate the existing Marina Bay Towers and keep 105 units for affordable living.
Construction on the spires still hasn't started, as of October 2026.
But could the Marina Bay Towers finally be on the verge of an actual restoration?
Cocoziello and the city reached an agreement over sewer charges this summer, the Cape May County Herald reported. Donohue also said Cocoziello had recently applied for permits.
"North Wildwood is well aware of the frustration of the tenants, but we're hopeful that the permits are a sign that things are moving forward," said Donohue.
On Friday, New Jersey 101.5 left a voicemail for Cocoziello's development company Consult Realty seeking comment. A response was not received at the time of publishing on Monday afternoon.
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