"This project just wasn't about replacing wood," Commissioner Lance Landgraf told the crowd on April 29, 2026, when Ventnor reopened its rebuilt Boardwalk from Suffolk Avenue to Cambridge Avenue. "It's about ensuring the iconic landmark remains safe, accessible and resilient for generations of residents and visitors to come."
That quote describes more than the Boardwalk. Over the past year Ventnor rebuilt a string of familiar places, and the same choice came up each time. The town kept what each place did and changed how it looked when the new version was easier to maintain or worked better day to day. You can see it on the boards, on the corner of Atlantic Avenue and Vassar Square, and in the streets now being dug up for new water mains.
What Changed Underfoot Between Suffolk and Cambridge
The biggest visual change is the one people notice on their first walk. The herringbone decking that defined Ventnor's Boardwalk for decades is gone. Straight planking replaced it because straight boards are easier to replace than the diagonal pattern.
Here's what else is different on the rebuilt stretch, based on Shore Local's May 14, 2026 report and the Press of Atlantic City's coverage of the reopening:
- The wood. The decking is Cumaru, a dense tropical hardwood sometimes called Brazilian teak, laid over heavy beams on new pilings.
- The width. The planking runs slightly past the railings, which makes the walkway a little wider.
- The center rail. The boards along the center rail have chamfered edges.
- The lighting. Light poles are shorter and closer together than before.
- The access points. Ramps are more accessible, and the pavilions and railings were rebuilt.
The whole project cost about $12 million. Of that, $7.1 million came from New Jersey's Boardwalk Preservation Fund, a $100 million state program paid for with federal American Rescue Plan money. Landgraf credited Schiavone Construction, city engineer Ed Stinson, and DeBlasio Engineering, which designed the project.
The rebuild also ended a long chapter. Landgraf said the structure it replaced dated to the repairs made after the Ash Wednesday storm of 1962, which destroyed Ventnor's Boardwalk. Most of the boards people walked on before this year had been there for more than six decades.
The Pilings That Turned Up at Cambridge Avenue
Building it took more effort than the finished deck suggests. Crews tore out the old Boardwalk, dug out the sand that had built up underneath, and drove new pilings, which was the slowest part of the job. In good weather they set 20 to 24 pilings a day. After snow or ice, that fell to nine. The past winter was cold and brought several snowstorms, and the stretch still reopened on schedule.
At Cambridge Avenue, the new alignment hit old pilings from the Municipal Pier. That pier opened in the late 1920s and hosted dances, concerts and city events until storms destroyed it in 1962 and 1963. The remains created unexpected problems for the construction team. They're also a reminder that this end of the Boardwalk has been rebuilt for new uses before.
The Same Trade at Atlantic and Vassar
A block from the beach and the boards, the corner of Atlantic Avenue and Vassar Square went through its own version of the Boardwalk decision. For decades it was Bruno's Italian Market, the place for cold cuts and last-minute groceries before a family dinner. Bruno's closed for good earlier in 2026.
The space is now Shortstop Spirits & Deli. The new owner fully renovated the roughly 1,000-square-foot interior with new flooring, refrigeration, food counters and lighting. The neighborhood-market layout stayed. Everything added on top is new, including a sports-themed sandwich menu, a full retail liquor license and online ordering. The Ventnor Business Association's profile says the owner looked at what the corner had always offered, a reliable market people could walk to, and asked what that should look like now.
That's the same move the city made on the Boardwalk. The job stays the same, and the build is new.
Ventnor Avenue got a similar change. Culina Mundi opened September 4 at 5217 Ventnor Ave., in the former Mr. Gordo's space next to Sack O' Subs. Founder Adam Colon has more than 25 years in hospitality. The menu draws on Mediterranean, Asian, Latin, European and American cooking, with dishes like miso-glazed sea bass over wasabi mashed potatoes. It's BYOB, with indoor seating and a patio. Hours are 5 to 9 p.m. Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, and 5 to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. It's closed Tuesdays.
The Rebuilding Under the Street
Most of what Ventnor is replacing this year can't be seen at all. Shore Local's May roundup listed the hidden projects alongside the visible ones. The city is replacing thousands of lead service lines, resurfacing Ventnor Avenue with new curbs and ADA-compliant ramps, upgrading stormwater systems in Ventnor Heights to reduce flooding, and retiming traffic signals along Atlantic Avenue. The Surrey Avenue Water Tower was rehabilitated and repainted, with structural, coating, lighting and safety upgrades done at the same time. The city's last dated update on the Ventnor Avenue work, in February, listed it as awarded or under construction and gave no completion date.
For one part of town, the next phase starts Monday. According to a city notice from September 23, the Winchester Avenue water main replacement begins October 5 on parts of Winchester, Dudley and Surrey avenues. Here's how it will work:
Construction will be completed in two-block sections, beginning at Dudley Avenue and continuing north. Parking and traffic will be restricted or prohibited within active construction areas.
Crews will replace the water main, the service lines on the street side of the meter, fire hydrants, gate valves and worn-out meter pits where needed. Curbs, gutters, sidewalks, driveway aprons and lane striping torn up during the work will be restored. The work is expected to finish by December 31, 2026. Questions go to Water and Sewer Superintendent Ernie Gratz at 609.823.7939.
If your street is on that route, expect a few weeks of parking restrictions. In return you get new pipe, new hydrants and restored sidewalks. Same trade.
The courts followed the pattern too. The pickleball and tennis courts on Atlantic Avenue between Suffolk and Somerset were laid out again as four tennis courts and 10 pickleball courts, with a new pavilion and shaded area in the design. When Shore Local visited in May, crews were applying the acrylic coating and finishing the fence, and the target was Memorial Day.
The Other Half of the Boards Is Next
The Boardwalk work isn't done. Phase two covers Suffolk Avenue to Jackson Avenue, at the Atlantic City border. The city's original schedule put it at "Fall 2026 – Winter 2026." Shore Local reported in May that it was set to begin after Labor Day. As of early October, the city hasn't posted a start date or a list of which blocks and ramps will close. Downbeach BUZZ has given a later completion window of winter 2026 into 2027.
During phase one, the city closed the Boardwalk from Surrey Avenue to the Fishing Pier access ramp and kept the pier open. Nothing has been announced yet about pier access during phase two. Check the city's Engineer page before planning a walk toward Jackson Avenue this fall.
Once phase two is finished, Ventnor's whole Boardwalk will have been rebuilt to the same new standard, with straight Cumaru planks and new lighting running all the way to the Atlantic City line.
Around the Construction, the Fall Calendar Holds
The rebuilding hasn't cut into the town's calendar. Ventnor's first annual Food Truck Festival ran September 4 to 6 at Ski Beach, the same week Culina Mundi opened, and The Usual Suspects played on September 5. Here's what's still ahead:
- VBA Goes Pink, all of October. Ventnor Business Association members are decorating storefronts pink and running specials and displays.
- The Comeback Collective, Sunday, October 18, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. A new fitness and vendor event benefiting Living Beyond Breast Cancer hosted by Leslie's Dance Studio, 6601 Ventnor Ave. Jackie Fox of Fox Fitness 4 You is organizing it, and Fit4Mom Ventnor is taking part as a fitness partner.
- Halloween Fest, Sunday, October 25, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Crafters, vendors, food, and tricks and treats at Ski Beach.
- Sip & Shop, Saturday, November 21, 1 to 4 p.m. The VBA's annual market of local makers and small businesses at Ventnor Social.
- Holiday weekend, December 4 to 6. The tree lighting at City Hall on December 4, the holiday parade on Ventnor Avenue on December 5, and the holiday art and craft fair at the Library on December 5 and 6.
- Polar Plunge & Winter Festival, January 1, 2027. The VBA's New Year's tradition returns, with the festival at Memorial Hall.
The plan for what comes next is also up for review. The city scheduled a September 28 hearing on its revised 2026 master plan reexamination, and said the board could vote to adopt it when the hearing ended.
If you own a home near the new boards, along the Winchester Avenue route, or anywhere this year's work reached, and you're curious how all this rebuilding affects what your property is worth, Alexander Huffard can walk you through it block by block. Get your free home valuation, and we'll put real numbers on your corner of Ventnor.
