Atlantic City’s Casino Reinvestment Development Authority has released its ambitious master plan for the state-run Tourism District.
Some of the highlights of the plan include:
• Attractions along the two-and-a-half-mile Boardwalk at regular intervals including stages, seating and corporate displays.
• Interactive wind sculptures on the beach.
• A pedestrian-friendly Pacific Avenue.
• Renovating casino parking garages so they can offer cafés and retail at the street level.
• Remodeling of sky bridges to casinos with a more open feel.
• Transformation of Atlantic Avenue into a tourist-friendly “Main Street.”
• Expansion of non-gaming attractions like Lighthouse Park and the Gardner’s Basin development, which resembles a seaside fishing village.
• Converting the former airport, Bader Field, into a mixed-use area that includes “green neighborhoods” and recreational elements.
Governor Chris Christie has invested heavily in Atlantic City, home to the state’s 11 casinos, as it strives to improve its economic future in the face of declining revenue and competition in neighboring states. Several gaming analysts predict the opening of Revel casino this spring (see page 34) could spark a resurgence of tourism dollars at the resort. Christie has given Atlantic City five years to improve before he will entertain the idea of expanding gaming to other areas of the state.
