Downtown Wall Now Home To Unique Beach Mural

Downtown Wall Now Home To Unique Beach Mural
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OCEAN CITY – Standing on Talbot Street, Ocean City patrons can take in a classic view of the town through a recently completed façade project and wall mural.

Jerry Greenspan, who owns the property, said the building has been on his to do list for some time now.

The building was originally owned by Albert and Bea Berger who operated it as a sports wear store for 30 or more years. About 20 years ago, Greenspan took over and it had been rented by Purple Moose Saloon and is now home to Sassy Beachwear.

“I had decided since we got a new tenant that we needed to do something with the outside of the building,” Greenspan said.

He met with Ocean City Development Corporation Executive Director Glenn Irwin and decided on the façade project’s renovations details.

Irwin said the building’s façade improvements include removal of the metal and plastic siding, removal of the former sign and metal awning, repair of the newly exposed brickwork, new paint, installing new cedar shake siding to the upper portions and new goose neck lighting fixtures on the exterior.

Greenspan explained the color pallet is a “Columbia Blue” with white trim, which matches other facade projects in the area and the goose neck lighting fixtures incorporate a 1930’s and 1940’s style.

“It’s a period lighting piece,” he said. “We tried to keep it in the tone of the downtown old style look. It really pops the building.”

This is the 109th façade project completed in downtown Ocean City.

A twist to this project is a wall mural that has been painted onto the building’s 150-foot exterior wall.

“I have always supported the murals downtown,” Greenspan said. “I am pretty into nostalgic posters and postcards. I just find it really nice to give people a flavor of what Ocean City used to look like years ago.”

The mural’s artist, Denny McLeod, said that because it is an older building he wanted to give it a classic and nostalgic look, as well as represent the local region at the same time.

“The design is looking out of an automobile show room looking out onto the beach,” Greenspan said. “It’s really neat because you’re looking from the inside of the show room out. There is some paddle fans up top, there’s an old Woody with some surf boards, and a ‘56 pink Pontiac.”

McLeod has painted murals all around town and said the Talbot Street mural is among his favorites. While he was painting, many stopped to give input including a Maryland State Trooper who suggested a 58’ Chevy Impala be included and so it was.

“I kept in my mind all their suggestions and just started painting,” McLeod said. “I had a blast because not only did it receive a lot of attention, I got a lot of feedback.”

McLeod said a unique feature is it includes the buildings history because he painted on fake stucco and brick work which actually lies beneath to add to the building classic look.

“I just felt so good when I finished that because I never got so much attention while I painted a mural,” he said. “When I was doing this in Ocean City I left at the end of the day feeling like I was somebody. I was like ‘whoa, these people appreciate this.’”