Wildwood has begun the search for a builder to redevelop 3.4 acres of vacant waterfront property on the city's back bay, where plans are underway for an overhaul of the former municipal dump nearby.

A request for proposals was issued last week for the land at 525 W. Spicer Ave., which most recently had been used by the city's public works department. It was once a sewage processing plant.

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"The City intends to consider real estate development options that are consistent with the Redevelopment Plan’s intent and objectives," the notice says.

Wildwood operated the adjacent municipal dump along Susquehanna Avenue until 1983, when the city started having its waste hauled out to regional facilities managed by the county. The city has plans to redevelop the 26-acre landfill as parkland, including passive trails, fields and a kayak launch with access to the back bay.

The Spicer Avenue property offers an unusual chance for the city to redevelop a section of its waterfront. The oceanfront is mostly spanned by commercial properties along the roughly 2.5-mile boardwalk, while the back bay has a mix of commercial and residential properties. New residential projects have sprung up on Susquehanna Avenue in recent years, but property owners have complained to the Wildwood Board of Commissioners about wildlife and dust from the dump site, the Cape May County Herald reported.

The city said it will consider "varying development options" based on the expertise of the developers who submit proposals. Responses from interested developers are due by Aug. 25.

The property on Spicer Avenue sits across from a marina in West Wildwood on the other side of Post Creek Basin. The site is about a mile from the Wildwood Boardwalk.

In March, the city awarded an $850,000 contract to Fred Schiavone Construction Inc. for wildlife habitat plantings and final surfacing of pathways and walkways at the former dump site. Past proposals, including for homes and a solar farm, failed to move forward in years past.