Atlantic City Seeks New Image: Las Vegas's

[STT757]

Yes, I also beleive that the Boardwalk will again become the main destination. I just think that they should get some type of monrail system in order to disperse the crowds between the oceanfront and the marina district.
http://www.digeorgeatlantic.com/

No monorails, the Las Vegas Monorail is the biggest waste of money ever. It goes nowhere and is hidden. The best public transport option for Atlantic City is to use Light Rail, the Hudson Bergen Light rails success can be duplicated in Atlantic City.

[American Gaming Guru]

I have not heard anything about them either, but interestingly enough, does anyone know the developer of Jean Nouvel's 11th avenue building.......? None other than Curtis Bashaw and partners! I wonder if Digeorge is a friend or taking notice of Cape Advisor's positive outlook on AC investment.

[giselehaslice]

Well I think that you may have something there american gaming guru...

I dont think that it isnt legit because the person who posted that digeorge link on Skyscraperpage said that it was on a billboard on the ACX (atlantic city expressway) so that tells me that it is a real compnay or whatever (maybe its even Curtis Bashaw trying to start a new company or name for a company or something.)

[American Gaming Guru]

Check out the last line. Gotta love The Donald!

Trump Casinos: the Art of the Comeback?

Sunday, September 30, 2007
By WAYNE PARRY, Associated Press Writer

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. —
For months, a tusk on one of the elephants outside the Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort was missing, probably snapped off by a vandal.

It was one small repair on a long list of things Trump Entertainment Resorts Inc. had to do to spruce up its three casinos in the battle against a growing list of better-financed, newer, flashier casinos changing the face of Atlantic City.
Now the tusk is glued back on _ a symbol that the company realizes that the small things are just as important as the big ones when it comes to succeeding in the new Atlantic City.
"You have a lot of competition to Atlantic City now, which it's never had before," said company chairman Donald Trump. "Now it's really a question of marketing and running (the Trump casinos) beautifully."
The company faces stiff headwinds _ more than $1.5 billion in debt, better-financed competitors with a big head start on offering the kind of Las Vegas-style resort appeal that Atlantic City has only recently embraced, and at least two deep-pocketed companies who will open new casinos within four years.
It sought buyers for the Taj Mahal, Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino, and Trump Marina Hotel Casino. A proposed deal came close but fell through in July.
Donald Trump said there are still several potential buyers, either for the company as a whole or for a piecemeal sale. But he refuses to identify them or characterize how serious the talks have become.
In the meantime, the company is focused on turning around its bottom line.
"Our turnaround strategy has always been to identify our better customers and market to them," said Mark Juliano, a 30-year veteran casino executive who once ran Caesars Palace in Las Vegas and who took over as Trump's chief executive this summer. "It's to try to get the company away from depending on the day-trip gambler as opposed to someone who wants to come for a two- or three-day entertainment experience."
To do that, Trump needs more hotel rooms to put them in. The company is building a second tower at the Taj Mahal for $255 million that should be open in the third quarter of 2008. The 786 rooms it includes will give Trump 3,670 rooms _ about the same as a new casino planned here by Revel Entertainment Group LLC.
The new rooms at the Taj are a major part of the company's strategy to whittle away the $1.5 billion in debt that has limited its options in the past and scared off some potential buyers. The debt remains despite a 2005 bankruptcy reorganization.
Virtually every room in all three casinos has been renovated in recent years, and new restaurants opened at the Taj and Marina. A makeover stripped much of the garishness from the Taj, including its infamous purple carpet, which Juliano promised the state Casino Control Commission "has been banished forever."
Brian Fennell of Lumberton, N.J., stayed at the Taj recently for a trade show, and liked what he saw.
"The decor is fresh," he said. "It looks new and up-to-date. I had a great time."
The company scrapped players-club cards it had issued for each individual casino in favor of the TrumpONE card, which lets gamblers accrue and redeem perks at any of the casinos, even as it cuts back on those for less profitable gamblers. And it hopes to reduce expenses by $19 million this year.
So, will it all work?
Trump Marina and Trump Plaza regularly rank at or near the bottom of Atlantic City's 11 casinos in terms of monthly revenue. And last month, Trump Entertainment reported that its second-quarter loss widened as gambling revenue fell, partly due to increased regional competition.
But the Taj remains around the top third of Atlantic City casinos in monthly revenue and the casino commission recently granted a new five-year operating licenses for the three Trump casinos despite expressing deep skepticism over the company's rosy financial predictions.
Some analysts say that with land and construction prices pushing the cost of new Atlantic City casinos to the $2 billion range, it might be cheaper to buy an existing one rather than build from scratch. Under such a scenario, the Trump properties might look more attractive.
Earlier this month, KeyBanc Capital Markets cited "excellent" progress on reducing promotional expenses such as freebies for gamblers. And Goldman Sachs wrote in an August report that out-of-state competition is hurting the Trump casinos, but noted that the TrumpONE card program and the Taj expansion should increase revenues.
"We ultimately believe our long-term turnaround thesis is in place," they wrote.
Will new carpeting, wall treatments, and a fixed elephant tusk help the Taj fall more in line with its upscale competitors?
Donald Trump thinks so. He also misses the purple carpet.
"Some people thought that other (look) was outdated," he said. "I thought it was nice."

[American Gaming Guru]

MGM has undoubtedly teased AC before. I remain cautious but never the less excited for the latest news leak:

MGM Mirage plans multibillion-dollar casino resort for Atlantic City

By DONALD WITTKOWSKI Staff Writer, (609) 272-7258
Published: Thursday, October 4, 2007
See map of project (http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/static/mgmcasino.jpg)
ATLANTIC CITY - No longer content with building a mere casino, gaming giant MGM Mirage Inc. plans to develop a mini-city of gambling, hotel towers and luxury condominiums that would dramatically redefine the Atlantic City skyline.
The estimated $4.5 billion to $5.5 billion project would mimic the company's huge $7.4 billion CityCenter project under construction on the Las Vegas Strip, although on a smaller scale, according to people familiar with the plans.
MGM envisions a casino complex featuring three hotel towers of 1,000 rooms each and high-end retail on par with the acclaimed Forum Shops at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. In addition to its mammoth size, what would distinguish the MGM project from other Atlantic City casinos are plans for posh condos that would start at $1 million and top out between $5 million and $6 million, officials said.
MGM's board of directors may give the development the green light when it holds its next meeting, reportedly Tuesday. In February, the board approved $20 million to design a project that would rise on 70 acres next to Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in the Marina District.
MGM is a 50-50 owner of Borgata with Boyd Gaming Corp., but the company has been tantalizing Atlantic City for the past decade with plans for a separate megacasino that would rival anything on its home turf of Las Vegas.
Ritzy Las Vegas casinos owned by MGM include Bellagio, The Mirage, MGM Grand and Mandalay Bay. While those casinos are stunning in their own right, MGM's masterpiece is the CityCenter project - billed as a gambling megalopolis or "a city within a city." It will include a casino hotel of 4,000 rooms, two nongaming boutique hotels, 470,000 square feet of retail and entertainment space and nearly 2,700 upscale condo units. Completion is targeted for late 2009.
MGM would like to use the Las Vegas development as a model for a "CityCenter East" project in Atlantic City. Construction is tentatively scheduled to begin in fall 2008 and take about three and a half years to complete, according to people briefed on the plans.
CityCenter East
The three proposed hotel towers would each serve a distinct market, from mid-tier customers all the way up to the creme de la creme of high rollers. The condos have been discussed as a possible second phase. A 20,000-seat entertainment arena also was considered but has since been struck from the development.
Gordon M. Absher, MGM Mirage vice president of public affairs, declined to discuss details of the project or even confirm that the board of directors would be meeting next week.
"We're very excited about the possibilities in Atlantic City and to continue along the vein of what Borgata has started and proved to be successful in that market," Absher said.
Dennis M. Farrell Jr., a gaming analyst for Wachovia Capital Markets, believes MGM's project would continue Atlantic City's evolution from a modest gambling haven to a more upscale tourist destination offering an array of casino and nongaming attractions.
"It's a transforming event for the marketplace," he said. "It will grab another segment of clientele that the market has been lacking for some time - the high-end residential customer. You'll probably get more VIP gaming in there, as well. It will help Atlantic City become the destination marketplace that it is striving for."
Farrell said the existing casinos should not fear such a formidable new rival because MGM's development will have broad-ranging benefits to expand the entire market, including the possibility of more airport service.
"Nongaming businesses will benefit from that type of facility as well," Farrell said of casino vendors and suppliers. "It's going to be a big boost for the local economy."
If built, the MGM project would roughly coincide with the arrival of two other proposed casinos. Revel Entertainment Group has started preliminary construction on an estimated $2 billion gaming resort scheduled to open in 2011 next to Showboat Casino Hotel. Pinnacle Entertainment Inc. is redeveloping the site of the old Sands Casino Hotel for a $1.5 billion to $2 billion casino that may open in 2011 or 2012.
"I think it's very exciting," New Jersey Casino Control Commission Chair Linda M. Kassekert said of MGM's plans. "As we have discussed, Atlantic City is really ready to take the next step in becoming a destination, and this is taking us in the right direction."
Unfulfilled promises
Despite growing optimism over MGM's project, the company's track record in Atlantic City includes unfulfilled promises for two other casinos within the past decade. It once planned to build a lavish gaming resort on barren land in the South Inlet, only to kill that project to focus on the Marina District. Plans for the Marina then failed. Now MGM is resurrecting the Marina District site for its latest development.
MGM is flush with cash for new projects, thanks in part to a $2.7 billion investment in the CityCenter project by financing partner Dubai World, an entity of the United Arab Emirates government. Dubai World also has agreed to buy as much as $2.4 billion of MGM's common stock.



However, MGM's plans for Atlantic City could be affected by uncertainty over the Casino Control Commission's pending vote on the company's partnership for a new casino in the Chinese gambling enclave of Macau. Critics claim the partnership with Pansy Ho, the eldest daughter of Macau casino mogul Stanley Ho, should be denied because of Stanley Ho's reputed ties to Asian organized crime.
Kassekert's agency must vote on the Pansy Ho-MGM venture because MGM Mirage holds a New Jersey gaming license. The New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement is investigating the partnership and will make recommendations to the commission on whether the deal should be approved.
Although the commission's denial of the partnership is not expected, should that remote possibility occur, MGM theoretically could surrender its New Jersey gaming license and walk away from Atlantic City in order to concentrate on Macau.
Gaming regulators in Mississippi and Nevada have already given their approval for the Macau partnership. Pansy Ho has repeatedly denied that her father would be involved in her project with MGM.

To e-mail Donald Wittkowski at The Press: DWittkowski@pressofac.com (DWittkowski@pressofac.com)

[BrooklynRider]

Oct 4, 2007 12:33 pm US/Eastern

A.C. Mayor Goes AWOL; Mystery Man Appoints Self


(CBS 3) ATLANTIC CITY Frustrated and confused Atlantic City residents have lately been asking “Where is the Mayor?”

Bob Levy, the Mayor of the New Jersey gambling mecca, went missing last week without notice, leaving a power vacuum in his absence.

A local business administrator, Domenic Cappella, recently proclaimed he was personally appointed acting Mayor by Levy himself before his strange disappearance, but has no proof of any agreement.

Residents demanded answers to the Mayoral mystery during a city council meeting Wednesday night.

Unfortunately, City Council members could shed little light on Levy’s whereabouts.

“I would say AWOL, absolutely without leave. We don’t have an official word that has been delivered to city council on where the mayor is,” a city councilman said.

Levy’s disappearance could not come at a worse time, as rumors of upcoming arrests and resignations are flying during an FBI investigation into the city’s government.

Levy's attorney said his client is on extended medical leave, but would not give any further details.

"If you are sick, if you are in the hospital, let the public know, let the council know," City Councilman Tim Mancuso said.

Business Administrator Domenic Cappella said on September 26, Levy personally appointed him acting mayor, but could provide no concrete proof or explanation of their discussion.

“Before he was hospitalized, he made it known that I should be carrying on day to day business,” Cappella said.

But City Council members disagree, saying the only proof of Cappella’s alleged appointment is a memo written by Cappella designating himself.

“So for him to designate himself as the acting mayor is no different than if I were to designate myself as the acting mayor,” said attorney James Leonard Jr. “It’s completely without merit. It’s completely fraudulent and it’s not going to stand.”

Regardless of City Council’s opposition, Cappella said that he will not step down as he has a record of leadership.

“Ten years experience as an administrator, I run a $193 million budget, 1,500 employees, dealing with seven unions, saved the city tons of money,” Cappella said. “Let's put our differences to the side, let's move the city forward.”

After the tense and argumentative meeting Wednesday evening, the issue of who is in charge remains unsolved.

The City Council president did say he would take over the mayor's duties if the state were to say that it is legal.

Mayor Levy’s whereabouts are still unknown.

http://cbs3.com/local/local_story_276225636.html

[American Gaming Guru]

I don’t think anyone is going to pay the price Trump wants, but never the less; he does own some of the best real estate in AC! Cordish would make a great suitor. They developed the Hard Rock hotel/casinos in Hollywood and Florida and are big on redevelopment projects. They also developed the very successful "The Walk" outlets, which they are planning on expanding even further. They seem to believe big in AC.

Trump Resorts may have new suitor

Sources: Preliminary talks are with Baltimore firm

Friday, October 05, 2007 BY JUDY DeHAVEN AND JOE DONOHUE

Star-Ledger Staff
Trump's casino company is still for sale.
The Cordish Co., a Baltimore-based developer that touts itself as a multi-billion dollar conglomerate of real estate and entertainment businesses, is eyeing Trump Entertainment Resorts, three people familiar with the talks said.

The Cordish has been looking to get into the casino business and recently put in a bid to build a $600 million casino in Kansas. But industry observers said Atlantic City -- and Trump Resorts in particular -- is attractive because Cordish owns "The Walk," a $110 million outlet shopping district at the foot of the A.C. Expressway just in front of Trump Plaza.
Trump Resorts, which has struggled against competition from Pennsylvania slot parlors, has been looking for a buyer ever since it turned down an offer from a group led by former casino executive Dennis Gomes in July, causing shares of the company to plummet.
Donald Trump, the chairman and largest shareholder in the company that bears his name, and Mark Juliano, Trump Resorts chief executive, declined comment. David Cordish, president and chairman of the Cordish, did not return a call or e-mail request for comment.
Despite the shaky state of the credit markets, people familiar with the talks said suitors have continued to show some interest in Trump Resorts, although no offers have been made. The sources asked not to be identified because the talks between Trump and Cordish are in preliminary stages.
A sale of Trump Resorts would not necessarily spell the end of the Trump era in Atlantic City. Trump has said in the past he could decide to remain with the new company after any sale.
But analysts have long said finding a buyer for Trump Resorts is a long shot. The company carries a heavy debt load -- $1.25 billion plus a $500 million line of credit -- and would be an expensive proposition. A buyer also would have to pay a premium on the price of the company's bonds. And Trump has veto power over the sale of any of the casinos. If he waives that right, the company would have to pay up to $100 million to cover taxes he would owe in a sale.
Although investors have been hoping for a sale, they have grown increasingly skeptical. After Trump Resorts announced in March it had hired Merrill Lynch to help it evaluate strategic options -- including selling the company -- shares fell more than 30 percent. Trump Resorts' 52-week high of $23.80 was hit nearly a year ago.
Trump Resorts has struggled ever since it emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection more than two years ago. A quick turnaround under former CEO Jim Perry never materialized, and he was ousted in June at a critical point during negotiations to sell the company to Gomes and his partner.
Trump appointed Juliano, the company's former chief operating officer, to replace Perry, and he stepped in as the Atlantic City casino market faced its biggest threat -- competition from neighboring states. For the first eight months of the year, revenue at all 11 casinos is down 4 percent; at the three Trump casinos, it has fallen 4.3 percent.
The Cordish is a privately held, third-generation business that was started in 1932. It is best known for urban revitalization projects, most notably the redevelopment of Baltimore's Inner Harbor.
But Cordish also has some experience in the gambling business. The company was involved in developing the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casinos in Hollywood and Tampa, Fla.

[66nexus]

Oct 4, 2007 12:33 pm US/Eastern

A.C. Mayor Goes AWOL; Mystery Man Appoints Self


(CBS 3) ATLANTIC CITY Frustrated and confused Atlantic City residents have lately been asking “Where is the Mayor?”

Bob Levy, the Mayor of the New Jersey gambling mecca, went missing last week without notice, leaving a power vacuum in his absence.

A local business administrator, Domenic Cappella, recently proclaimed he was personally appointed acting Mayor by Levy himself before his strange disappearance, but has no proof of any agreement.

Residents demanded answers to the Mayoral mystery during a city council meeting Wednesday night.

Unfortunately, City Council members could shed little light on Levy’s whereabouts.

“I would say AWOL, absolutely without leave. We don’t have an official word that has been delivered to city council on where the mayor is,” a city councilman said.

Levy’s disappearance could not come at a worse time, as rumors of upcoming arrests and resignations are flying during an FBI investigation into the city’s government.

Levy's attorney said his client is on extended medical leave, but would not give any further details.

"If you are sick, if you are in the hospital, let the public know, let the council know," City Councilman Tim Mancuso said.

Business Administrator Domenic Cappella said on September 26, Levy personally appointed him acting mayor, but could provide no concrete proof or explanation of their discussion.

“Before he was hospitalized, he made it known that I should be carrying on day to day business,” Cappella said.

But City Council members disagree, saying the only proof of Cappella’s alleged appointment is a memo written by Cappella designating himself.

“So for him to designate himself as the acting mayor is no different than if I were to designate myself as the acting mayor,” said attorney James Leonard Jr. “It’s completely without merit. It’s completely fraudulent and it’s not going to stand.”

Regardless of City Council’s opposition, Cappella said that he will not step down as he has a record of leadership.

“Ten years experience as an administrator, I run a $193 million budget, 1,500 employees, dealing with seven unions, saved the city tons of money,” Cappella said. “Let's put our differences to the side, let's move the city forward.”

After the tense and argumentative meeting Wednesday evening, the issue of who is in charge remains unsolved.

The City Council president did say he would take over the mayor's duties if the state were to say that it is legal.

Mayor Levy’s whereabouts are still unknown.

http://cbs3.com/local/local_story_276225636.html

Frickin weird. To just up and leave is...questionable at best:confused:

[Fabrizio]

There is also an article in todays Times... this is SO New Jersey:

"The mystery and the gathering scandal over Levy's military record have worried civic leaders in this seaside casino resort, which has a long history of corruption, with four of the last eight mayors busted on graft charges and one-third of last year's nine-member City Council in prison or under house arrest."

[giselehaslice]

^Mayor problems really dont have anything to do with this thread.

The CityCenter news is great..looking foward to seeing it get built. I just hope that they expand their plans to include somewhere near 6,000 rooms, not 3,000. I strongly beleive that they will increase the size and scope of this project, especially since they will open this new resort around the same time that at least 2 other resorts will be opening in town..Anyway, its really good news! :)

[Fabrizio]

Why does it have nothing to do with this thread?

If "Atlantic City Seeks New Image..." as the thread title says, such a circus at City Hall does not help the city's image:

From today's Inquirer:

"Officials have said they were concerned that Atlantic City's apparent lack of leadership and a possible scandal involving the top job does not play well on the national stage."

"I hear from people who are concerned about instability here," said Corzine. "It's important we provide stability, not only for the purpose of investment but for the citizens."

http://www.philly.com/inquirer/home_region/20071006_Missing_A_C__mayor_troubles_Corzine_He_sa id_the_state_is_weighing_legal_options_for_replaci ng_Bob_Levy__who_has_been_A_W_O_L_.html

[lofter1]

And if gisele really does have lice then I don't see how that's helping AC's image one darned bit :cool:

[giselehaslice]

lol

[Fabrizio]

No, it's not helping AC's image at all.

She should have crabs.

[giselehaslice]

okay. My username isnt meant to be serious. Its a joke, if you know what that means.

And also, I REALLY dont appreciate the personal attacks. I never personally attacked you. This thread isnt about "gisele having lice" becuase she doesnt, but it Is about Atlantic City and what is happening there currently.

thank you! :)

[Fabrizio]

okay. My username isnt meant to be serious.
Its a joke, if you know what that means.

And in fact: we are joking.


And also, I REALLY dont appreciate the personal attacks.

Please show us where you were "personally attacked":

This thread isnt about "gisele having lice" becuase she doesnt

Whew... we're relieved to hear that.

This thread.... Is about Atlantic City and what is happening there currently.

"What is happening there currently"? If that is so, then why are you objecting about the posting of this big news story about the AWOL mayor and it's possible consiquences?

[giselehaslice]

okay, your right. I'm Sorry. :)

[American Gaming Guru]

What a mess. NJ politics are a national nightmare.

[BrooklynRider]

The Mayor's lawyer knows where he is, but won't say. What the hell is THAT about? Seems like the guy has abdicated. Time to get a replacement in there.

[investordude]

http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/071010/mgm_mirage_resort.html

Looks to me like this could be big for Atlantic City.

[66nexus]

http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/071010/mgm_mirage_resort.html

Looks to me like this could be big for Atlantic City.

That rendering on an updated article in your link is HOT. The Boardwalk zone had better get it together because the Marina district is strengthening its stance.

[STT757]

I have huge hopes for what MGM, Pinnacle entrance and Borgata, Tropicana and Harrahs expansions and renovations will do for Atlantic City. I have high hopes that these developments will spur investors to existing properties, especially along the boardwalk.

The Cordish Co's interest in the Trump properties is another hopeful sign, I've been to the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Tampa that Cordish built. It was a great property, I think Trump Marina is perfect for a Hard Rock Hotel and Casino.

As for the other properties, I'm not sure of the status of Steve Wynns interest in Atlantic City but he was rumored to be interested in Trump Plaza and the Convention Center. Trump Plaza's central location on the board would translate well for the boardwalk should Wynn make that property his flagship Eastcoast property, it would have an effect on the rest of the boardwalk.

The State of New Jersey needs to step up to the plate to make the neccessary infastructure investments to support the growth, especially with regards to building an Atlantic City Light Rail similar to the Hudson Bergen Light Rail. It has to be done like the HBLRT, I've been to Las Vegas and their Monorail is the biggest waste of money and the most worthless public transit system I've ever seen.

Besides the Light Rail Atlantic City International Airport needs investment and incentives to lure more carriers. Right now ACY has Delta to Atlanta and Spirit to Las Vegas, San Juan, Detroit, Myrtle Beach, Fort Myers, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Orlando.

The State of New Jersey should possible get the Port Authority involved with running ACY, it was hinted at when New Jersey agreed to let the Port Authority take over Stewart airport.

ACY needs to bring in more carriers and Destinations.

Jetblue, American, Continental, United, US Airways, NWA, Airtran etc..

[giselehaslice]

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/10/business/10cnd-casino.html?ref=business

^ A bigger rendering of what the MGM Grand Atlantic City will look like.. Let me say its just AMAZING!

[66nexus]

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/10/business/10cnd-casino.html?ref=business

^ A bigger rendering of what the MGM Grand Atlantic City will look like.. Let me say its just AMAZING!

Now that's impressive. I saw that rendering before but it was very blurry and I couldn't tell what was going on. ^That one's impressive to say the least.

[Fabrizio]

I'm sure these casinos out in the marina would never be for it, but there should be light rail taking people into the city. These complexes are great but visitors will just pass AC by.

The plus here is that the look is really first-class. Swoopy and modern.... it will raise the bar for things to come. the others will have to top this.

[66nexus]

I'm sure these casinos out in the marina would never be for it, but there should be light rail taking people into the city. These complexes are great but visitors will just pass AC by.

The plus here is that the look is really first-class. Swoopy and modern.... it will raise the bar for things to come. the others will have to top this.

Agreed. We don't want another Vegas downtown vs. Vegas Strip phenomenon which is currently taking place in NV.

There DEFINITELY should be a light rail, because the Boardwalk has much more to potential offerings than the Marina. The Marina (outside the casinos) is just a marina.

I wonder the fate of Bader Field

[Fabrizio]

With AC it's even worse than the Vegas downtown vs. Vegas Strip phenomenon : in AC, it's barricaded casinos VS a slum. Get in light rail... spread the weath around... get the city part on it's feet and looking fabulous.

[investordude]

Let's face it - for Atlantic City to truly compete with Vegas, they are going to need to find a way to improve the sex entertainment options. When people have a multibillion dollar "what happens here, stays here" ad, they're talking about strip clubs or perhaps even more legally suspect exotic entertainment.

My proposal for Atlantic City to compete would be a steep tax on exotic entertainment, but permit it. Like, $20 admission tax + $10 per dance tax. And some sort of legalized escort arrangment with the casinos that protects women might also make sense if it would fly.

Then, you could use that tax money to improve other services in Atlantic City like schools, police, and other deficient problems.

We'll never really compete with Vegas if we just compete on gambling.

Still, there's no doubt these casinos help Atlantic City even though my libertarian schemes will probably never happen in Jersey.

[unknown memory]

As much as that huge rendering looks very impressive, I'm still not surprised. I mean, what's in for us, non-gambling visitors? When we don't want to go shopping, go to the shore, or play the mini-golf since that's it. Steel Pier will probably be going soon too.

I just wish some random developer would come in and build something that'll make the non-gambling people stay longer. Something that is also family orienated because that's what helps Las Vegas stay alive on the non-gambling aspect. *sighs*

[66nexus]

I just wish some random developer would come in and build something that'll make the non-gambling people stay longer. Something that is also family orienated because that's what helps Las Vegas stay alive on the non-gambling aspect. *sighs*


What do you have in mind?
Perhaps go-karting

AC already has the shore which Vegas doesn't have (AC doesn't emphasize the beach enough though)

[Fabrizio]

"What do you have in mind?
Perhaps go-karting"


Well, for starters, real cities usually have nice public parks, busy city streets with a mix of retail, restaurants, coffeshops, movie theatres, book shops, antique stores, legit theaters for plays and musicals. How about a concert hall? Art galleries... an arts scene? A couple of museums?

When we don't want to go shopping, go to the shore, or play the mini-golf since that's it.

Exactly.

Look at Las Vegas' Union Park developement. They recognize that void and are filling it.

[STT757]

I'm sure these casinos out in the marina would never be for it, but there should be light rail taking people into the city. These complexes are great but visitors will just pass AC by.

Absolutely, Light Rail (Ala Hudson Bergen) connecting the Marina District, Convention Center/NJ Transit Rail Station, Boardwalk, Atlantic City International Airport.

Let's face it - for Atlantic City to truly compete with Vegas, they are going to need to find a way to improve the sex entertainment options. When people have a multibillion dollar "what happens here, stays here" ad, they're talking about strip clubs or perhaps even more legally suspect exotic entertainment.

I disagree, wont happen. If they want to give Atlantic City some edge legalize Sports betting, that would be a huge boon to the City. The Super Bowl parties at the Casinos there would be SRO.

[American Gaming Guru]

I love the MGM rendering. It is gutzy and glamorous. Cheers to them. AC is on fire (no pun intended to The Water Club) again!!!

[66nexus]

"What do you have in mind?
Perhaps go-karting"


Well, for starters, real cities usually have nice public parks, busy city streets with a mix of retail, restaurants, coffeshops, movie theatres, book shops, antique stores, legit theaters for plays and musicals. How about a concert hall? Art galleries... an arts scene? A couple of museums?


Well AC already has the niche for plays, musicals, with concert halls but that place needs to start with the basics...like a supermarket. AC may be small, but even the smallest cities at least have one supermarket.

Movie theaters is a must. Museums also (Ripley's Believe it or Not just doesn't quite cut it IMO)

AC still has a bit of land that just looks like huge dirt lots. These can and should be turned into public parks.

[American Gaming Guru]

PINKY'S CORNER
http://www.acweekly.com/images/issues/2007-10-11/large/img_7467_pinky.jpg


Pinnacle Has Big Plans http://www.acweekly.com/images/shim.gif by Pinky Kravitz (pinkyscrnr@aol.com)

http://www.acweekly.com/images/shim.gif


An interesting interview with Kim Townsend, the CEO of Pinnacle Entertainment Atlantic City, on the Pinky’s Corner radio show recently, revealed some heretofore unknown information. First, Townsend said that Pinnacle Entertainment, which had previously told George Siganos that he would have to vacate the Boardwalk stores he renovated and has been operating between Indiana Avenue and a couple of shops shy of Dr. Martin Luther King Boulevard by Dec. 31, informed Siganos that his lease will be extended for one more year. Needless to say George and those who rent his shops on this Boardwalk block are delighted with the opportunity of having another year at this site. This means that Siganos’s outstanding Opa restaurant will be able to continue serving their excellent Greek and American cuisine. Townsend explained that the construction Pinnacle will begin in 2008 will eventually work its was up to their Boardwalk property.
Townsend also said that Pinnacle will soon set a deadline for acquisitions of new properties to develop. This will let the architects know the exact footprint that will be available for Pinnacle’s new project. By the way, Pinnacle recently purchased the Studio Six property, located just off Atlantic Avenue between Dr. Martin Luther King Boulevard and Mt. Vernon Avenue. They have also acquired (or are in midst of acquiring) some additional sites in the 1600 block and any other sites they can wrap up between Indiana and Dr. Martin Luther King Boulevard between Atlantic and Pacific avenues, with some portions of their interest extending to Kentucky Avenue. It is anticipated that the final Pinnacle project site will occupy over 18 acres. Townsend noted that the new facility will have a full retail mall and that they will completely revamp the landscape of Brighton Park to enhance the view and beauty of the Fountain of Light.
On the radio show, a caller asked about the number of employees Pinnacle would be hiring. To date, the most hired by a casino was 6,000 employees. Townsend said that Pinnacle expects to hire between 8,000 to 10,000 employees. She also noted that they would create a parking garage just for their employees.
Pinnacle has set a gala extravaganza for the implosion of the remaining portion of the Sands Casino Hotel, its garage and the Jefferson Hotel. (See cover story on p. 54 for more details). There are still some in the gaming industry who say Pinnacle will never develop their project. Those who listened to Townsend on the radio show, however, have no doubt that there will be a magnificent new Pinnacle Casino Resort constructed on and around the site of the former Sands.



One Boardwalk Committee A meeting with Atlantic City Regional Chamber of Commerce president Joe Kelly brought about an agreement that there will be only one Atlantic City Boardwalk Committee. There will be a melding of the Chamber and the Boardwalk Merchant’s Committee with the original Atlantic City Boardwalk Committee.
It was acknowledged by all involved that it was in the best interest of the Atlantic City Boardwalk for a unified approach to restore the glamour, excitement and safety of the famed wooden way. According to the agreement, this columnist will be the chairman and Julie Bader will be the co-chair. A steering committee will be named consisting of representatives of the three entities; individual committees will be named with the same proviso. The areas to be covered by the committees are safety, cleanliness, events/entertainment and advocacy. Meetings will be held the second Tuesday of each month.
At this month’s meeting of the Atlantic City Boardwalk Committee, Tom Meehan, of the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority, reported that a contract has been signed for the design of the street ends at New York and Texas avenues. If you have seen the street end at California Avenue you are aware of how attractive it is. As funds become available, other streets will be done.
Meehan also noted that a request for proposals has gone out for the Fresh Food Market that will be constructed at North Carolina and Arctic avenues. The CRDA is working together with the Rutgers Extension Program to set up the market, which will carry Jersey Fresh produce, baked goods and meat products. It is anticipated that it will be open for business within a year and a half.
Information related to the 1,400-space parking garage that is to be built from Missouri to Mississippi avenues (Winchester Avenue to the back of the shops on Arctic avenue) will be presented at this month’s Board of Directors meeting for construction approval.
Also at the meeting, concern was raised about the dilapidated condition of the Boardwalk from Caspian to New Jersey avenues. It was acknowledged that Revel Entertainment’s new project will rebuild the Boardwalk from New Jersey to Metropolitan avenues. It is also understood that the Atlantic City budget has in its capital improvement budget the funds to re-deck the remaining portion of the Boardwalk from Metropolitan to Caspian avenues. All that is necessary is to get City Council’s approval to get this project underway in time for the Summer 2008.
With the imminent development of Revel’s casino hotel complex, members of the Boardwalk Committee expressed their concern about the future of the Atlantic City Art Center and the Historical Museum (both on Garden Pier). It is known that there is an agreement for Atlantic City to sell the pier to Revel. It is not known what the future of these two entities will be. This columnist would like to see them included in whatever Revel will develop on Garden Pier. We will not have to wait much longer to see Revel’s plans for its new facility.


Pinky’s Corner airs Monday through Friday from 4 to 6pm on News Talk WOND-AM 1400. His TV show, WMGM Presents Pinky, airs Saturday at 7:30pm on TV40. Pinky’s e-mail address is: pinky@acweekly.com (pinky@acweekly.com).

[d.josh6]

Yes, I also beleive that the Boardwalk will again become the main destination. I just think that they should get some type of monrail system in order to disperse the crowds between the oceanfront and the marina district.

Also, while browsing Skyscraperpage.com on Atlantic City's development page, there was a post about some new developer and thier "TOP SECRET" atlantic City Project. Does anyone know about this?

http://www.digeorgeatlantic.com/


I’m a senior at UPENN in the Wharton school and had a Wharton buddy who interned with DiGeorge Atlantic Properties this summer. I am in the middle of job recruiting right now, so I searched the company and came across this thread. From what my friend has told me the company is pretty low key but involved in some huge deals and is currently focused on the projected growth of Atlantic City. They have spent a lot of time developing I think they are about to publicize it. I think he is considering working for these guys full-time after graduation…

[giselehaslice]

^thats cool. Now we know that it is actually a real company.

Do you know what they are interested in developing? Please tell. :)

[STT757]

My Wife and I stayed at the Venetian in Las Vegas in July, right next door was the Wynn. The Venetian was great, the Wynn was ultra luxiourious. Hopefully MGM's project in Atlantic City will bring the high end market in Atlantic City (first realized by the Borgata) to the next level.

Also across the Street in Las Vegas from the Venetian was a really nice mall, it had two Macy's, Nordstrum, Maggianos etc.. I think a mall with anchor department stores would do great in Atlantic City, there's already the Pier with it's more boutique type shopping and then there's the outlets by the Convention Center. A mall with a Macy's, Movie thearter would add more non gaming activities to Atlantic City.

[giselehaslice]

I was is in Vegas in July too (OMG it was like 130 degrees for 4 days in a row), and stayed at THEhotel at Mandalay Bay. Yeah, the Wynn is spectacular, I just loved it and spent alot of my time there just becuase it was so nice.

I really do hope that Wynn decides to build a Wynn AC because personally I would probably want to buy one of the hotel rooms to live in just becuase of how nice it was. LOL:D

Anyway, the newest news on MGM Grand and MGM Mirage's operations in Atlantic City is that the Casino Contorol Comission and other NJ casino enforcement departments are wrapping up a long investigation on Pansy Ho, the brainchild behind MGM Mirage and Pansy Ho's joint venture in Macau, MGM Grand Macau. There is speculation that her father, Stanley Ho, who had a monopoly on casinos in the Portuguese exclave was tied to organized crime. The NJ casino control comission and gaming enforcement department's investigation was if Pansy Ho was to be influenced by her 85 year old father. Pansy claims that she is a seperate entity from her father and is not influenced by him. If NJ doesnt approve the Macau licence with Pansy Ho, MGM will have to decide whether to ditch their Macau plans, or ditch their Atlantic City plans. The report should be relased within a month, to a month and a half.

Although this news is sort of troublesome to me because I would absolutely love to see this resort get built, most people and most experts beleive that NJ will pass the Casino Licence. If they didnt, Atlantic City would lose the 5 BILLION dollar investment, they would loose the thousands of jobs, and they wouldnt make any money off the resort when it comes to taxes. Also, MGM already has a presence in Atlantic City with a 50% ownership of the Borgata.This would make it difficult to evict a company out of the state who single handedly started the Renaissance of Atlantic City by rasing the bar of East Coast Casino/Resorts with the Borgata.

Just wanted to report the latest and also add comfort becuase the liklelyhood that the NJ Casino Control Comssion will deny MGM Mirage is very low.

AC IS ON FIRE! :)

[investordude]

Given the mayor disappeared mysteriously and then resigned, I think one can probably safely speculate organized crime has a big impact running Atlantic City.

[giselehaslice]

^yeah, it could be.

The main thing is that fingers crossed- like i said before- it shouldnt be a problem for MGM Mirage to get their new casino licence, and they will start building MGM Grand Atlantic City.

[unknown memory]

What do you have in mind?
Perhaps go-karting

AC already has the shore which Vegas doesn't have (AC doesn't emphasize the beach enough though)
For me, it would probably be some kind of aquarium or an interactive place. I mean, something that would really make the non-gambling people stay there. Las Vegas already has a water park, a dolphin area, Coca-cola, M&M's, stratosphere, roller coaster (Ny, Ny), Treasure Island show, Mirage volcano show, Luxor use to have a boat ride, Ceaser's statue show, Cirque Du Soleil, Circus Circus's own circus, MGM's small theme park (which wasn't impressive at all), Venetian's gondola, and if I missed anything else, blah.... Vegas keeps adding stuff anyways.

Yeah, I guess a park would be nice for the locals in AC. AC definetly needs some green. For the tourists though, who goes to a park for a vacation? We have parks everywhere else. ^__^;

[Dynamicdezzy]

http://www.wirednewyork.com/forum/showthread.php?t=15503

[STT757]

A casino in Queens has no chance, Woody Johnson had tons of connections and he could not get the West Side Stadium built.

[American Gaming Guru]

There will be slots at Aqueduct (MGM was originally awarded the concession but after forfeiting it, Gov. Spitzer has called on a new round of bidding), but as far as a full-blown casino/resort, I would not bet on it. At least not for the foreseeable future.

[American Gaming Guru]

I am attending the Sands Implosion this Thursday. I will try and take some pics of it and some of the other developments in town to post:

Sands implosion ensures Atlantic City spectators will have a blast

By DONALD WITTKOWSKI
Published: Sunday, October 14, 2007
http://pressofatlanticcity-proxy.nandomedia.com/ips_rich_content/608-sands.jpg
The shell of the Sands building stands ready for implosion Tuesday in Atlantic City. It will take just seconds, but the casino's spectacular demise in a highly choreographed implosion is the latest must-see event in a tourist town that has always been concocting must-see events to draw visitors.
Staff photo by Ben Fogletto


Click to see how the Sands will fall (http://epaper.pressofac.com/demo/page1.htm)
View slideshow of past implosions (http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/static/soundslides/demolitions/index.html)
ATLANTIC CITY (http://www.inform.com/Atlantic+City) - Andrea Edmonds (http://www.inform.com/Andrea+Edmonds) had been keeping her suitcase packed and her husband on alert, telling him that he had better be ready to make a trip as soon as she received word.
For weeks, she wrote to newspapers, television stations and others hoping to find out the date of a once-in-a-lifetime event that would set her plans in motion.
Then it came: Oct. 18.
"The next thing I did was to call up the hotels," Edmonds said. "I decided to book a room at Caesars because it's so close to the Sands."
So Edmonds and her husband, Mike, will be making a six-hour drive this week from their central Massachusetts (http://www.inform.com/Massachusetts) town of Northborough to watch the old Sands Casino Hotel (http://www.inform.com/Sands+Atlantic+City) be blown to smithereens at 9:30 p.m. Thursday.
Although it will take just seconds to complete, the Sands' spectacular demise in a highly choreographed implosion is the latest must-see event in a tourist town that has always been concocting must-see events to draw visitors - visitors such as Andrea and Mike Edmonds (http://www.inform.com/Mike+Edmonds).
"I am 62 years old and wish to see an implosion before I die. My husband, on the other hand, wishes to see olives pitted and stuffed," Edmonds cracked.
Tourists, high rollers and local folks will pack the Boardwalk, the casinos, the bars and even crowd onto boats moored just offshore to witness the Sands come down in grand style like so many of its elderly cousins on the Las Vegas Strip (http://www.inform.com/Las+Vegas+Strip). Las Vegas (http://www.inform.com/Las+Vegas) has been perfecting the implosion hoopla for years, but this will be the first time Atlantic City demolishes an old casino this way.
"I think an implosion is something that certainly fascinates people. I think it's going to be a great event," said Jeffrey Vasser (http://www.inform.com/Jeffrey+Vasser), executive director of the Atlantic City Convention & Visitors Authority. "I think from an economic standpoint, having an influx of people midweek is going to be tremendous. We're certainly looking at it as another reminder to folks that Atlantic City is looking to reinvent itself."
Las Vegas gaming company Pinnacle Entertainment Inc. (http://www.inform.com/Pinnacle+Entertainment+Inc.) is redeveloping the Sands site for a $1.5 billion casino that will be among three new megaresorts expected to redefine the Atlantic City skyline dramatically within the next five years. Revel Entertainment Group (http://www.inform.com/Revel+Entertainment+Group) is building a $2 billion project next to Showboat Casino Hotel (http://www.inform.com/Showboat+Atlantic+City), while MGM Mirage (http://www.inform.com/MGM+Mirage+Inc.) is planning a mammoth $4.5 billion to $5 billion development in the Marina District adjacent to Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa.
The tiny Sands, dating to 1980, represented the early generation of gaming halls following the advent of casino gambling in 1978. While the implosion is sure to be greeted with wild cheers, some people have fond memories of the Sands and will be more reserved in their celebration.
"I liked the Sands. It was a nice little boutique casino. Small and very friendly," said Toni Bojarczuk (http://www.inform.com/Toni+Bojarczuk), of Poughkeepsie (http://www.inform.com/Poughkeepsie), N.Y. (http://www.inform.com/New+York) "It will be sad seeing one of the old casinos go, but I won't shed any tears."
The implosion will be a family outing for Bojarczuk and her husband, Nestor, and two other couples from New York state. They plan to arrive on Wednesday to give them a full day to scout out the best place to watch the Sands get blasted by 400 pounds of dynamite.
"We thought we would bring some chairs and maybe camp out on the Boardwalk," Bojarczuk joked.
For Bojarczuk, the implosion holds the thrill of seeing a 21-story hotel tower come tumbling down in the middle of town, just across the street from the Claridge Casino Hotel (http://www.inform.com/Claridge+Casino+Hotel) and Bally's Atlantic City (http://www.inform.com/Bally%27s+Atlantic+City).
"You always see them on TV. It will be nice to see one live," she said. "I wonder how they're going to do it. It's so close to the Claridge and Bally's, so I'm curious how they're going to do that."
At the Sands, the 15th story will be the highest floor rigged with explosives. The 23-story Claridge, a stately red-brick building that began as an elegant hotel in the 1920s, is the closest major landmark to the Sands. Most of the Claridge hotel rooms facing the Sands will be closed off for safety, but the 18th floor and higher will be far enough above the blast and will remain open, officials said.
"I would imagine they're going to have a great view," Jim Santoro (http://www.inform.com/Jim+Santoro), project manager for implosion contractor Controlled Demolition Inc. (http://www.inform.com/Controlled+Demolition+Inc.), said of the bird's eye view for Claridge guests.
Some of the neighboring casinos are throwing high-roller parties to capitalize on the event. Bally's will use two restaurants on the sixth floor and its pool and spa area as a viewing platform for the implosion, spokeswoman Alyce Parker (http://www.inform.com/Alyce+Parker) said.
In a bit of nostalgia, Resorts Atlantic City (http://www.inform.com/Resorts+Atlantic+City) has invited a group of gamblers dominated by former Sands high rollers to a party on a 13th floor veranda overlooking the implosion site.
"This will be predominantly former Sands customers looking for a little bit of closure," said Steve Callender (http://www.inform.com/Steve+Callender), senior vice president of operations at Resorts. "I think it was a good fit. One of the things they talked about was seeing this happen."
Local noncasino businesses also will get in on the act. Atlantic City Cruises will set sail out of Gardner's Basin for an "implosion cruise" that will anchor close to shore for the big event. Demand was so strong that Atlantic City Cruises added a second boat after the first one quickly sold out, a company spokeswoman said.
Maloney's, a tavern on Tennessee Avenue, has hired a DJ and will have food and drink specials during a rooftop party to celebrate the implosion.
At Maloney's and other spots in town, no doubt there will be many farewell toasts to the Sands.
To e-mail Donald Wittkowski (http://www.inform.com/Donald+Wittkowski) at The Press:
DWittkowski@pressofac.com (DWittkowski@pressofac.com)

[giselehaslice]

As someone previously stated, MGM Mirage owns about 15 acres adjacent to the Trump Marina. I beleive that MGM Mirage will hold onto their property over there, and will try to buy the Trump Marina in order to obtain more land. If/When they do this, they will demolish the Trump Marina, and I strongly beleive that MGM Mirage will then go ahead and plan to create another mega-resort. It could be another CityCenter styled development, or it could be a more resort-like place, like a Mandalay Bay.... Keep your fingers crossed. :)

[American Gaming Guru]

That would be interesting. Both MGM's 14 acre plot and Trump Marina together would make a spectacular development site. It also encompasses the comprehensive Farley Marina which is and would be a great amenity that no other casino can claim. Trump should have bought MGM's lot when they were taking over Mirage and were selling off land holdings. To bad he did not have the cash to do it.

I have always liked the laid-back atmosphere of Trump Marina, but it was built as a boxy Hilton and will not be able to compete effectively with the new resorts; purely because of its functional obsolescence.

[cysthead30]

Are there a lot of clubs in Atlantic City like you see in Vegas? I've never been to AC before but I plan to go in a few mos. Could anybody break down how it compares to Vegas?.....thanks.

[d.josh6]

^thats cool. Now we know that it is actually a real company.

Do you know what they are interested in developing? Please tell. :)


I think they are planning on developing a condo hotel on the boardwalk. It looks like they are going for a higher-end boutique style building.
Here is what is on www.digeorgeatlantic.com (http://www.digeorgeatlantic.com)
“-DiGeorge Atlantic Properties is developing Atlantic City's first world-class boutique hotel and ultra luxury condominium residences. Sure to become the most sought after location on the East Coast, our amenities, level of service, and location will be unmatched.
-Some of what you can expect will include:
International Designers
Best Views in Atlantic City
Multistory Destination Medi Spa
Three Multistory Destination Restaurants and Nightclubs »Dramatic Infinity Pool Complex overlooking the Atlantic Ocean
Poolside VIP Bungalow Suites
And much, much more!!”

[giselehaslice]

Thanks D.josh, that would definatley be another great thing for the boardwalk.

^As for AC's club scene, I would say that it is pretty hot and only getting hotter. Obviously The Borgata has the best clubs, MIXX and mur.mur, which actually has quite a few celebrity sightings here and there. Also, on the boardwalk at the Tropicana, they recently opened a new club which is actually a branch of Providence which is originally from New York, and it looks very good, very VIP. :cool: Also you got Jay-Z's 40/40 club in front of Caesars on Pacific Aveune. When compared to Vegas it is obviusly smaller, but still I would say that it is stilly pretty hot.

More Clubs on the way though!:D

[American Gaming Guru]

The other only really big "clubs" I can think of (not mentioned already) are The Casbah at the Taj (always an AC favorite with Mixx and mur.mur) and Club Worship at the House of Blues. Also a legendary club is called Club Tru (open very late-night after all the others have closed down). I think it might be closed for renovations though. Not sure.

[giselehaslice]

I was at the Sands Implosion last night, and it was unlike anything I have ever seen before. It was spectacular. There must have been 100,000 people on the Boardwalk and Beach watching the implosion, IT WAS CRAZY BUSY!

Here's a link to watch the implosion:
http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/top_story/story/7510508p-7408671c.html

[giselehaslice]

Hey Guys!

I have started a new blog discussing all the development in Atlantic City.
Please make sure to leave feedback! (Positive or negative).

Make Sure to check it out!

theatlanticsource.blogspot.com (http://www.theatlanticsource.blogspot.com)

[American Gaming Guru]

I was at the implosion too. A great night for Atlantic City! Can't wait to see what Pinnacle has in store for the site.

BTW, I drove by the Revel site as well. They look like they are full-steam ahead at this point. Very interesting.

[American Gaming Guru]

As I was watching the Sands Implosion, I happen to run into DiGeorge Atlantic Properties site just off the boardwalk. Here is a pic of it. It is right next too the Atlantic Palace.

http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&cp=qjskxx8sxy09&style=o&lvl=1&tilt=-90&dir=0&alt=-1000&scene=14938153&encType=1

It looks like they own the lot behnd the boardwalk shops under facade renovation in the pic. The facades, by the way, were completed and look great.

[American Gaming Guru]

Still no renderings just an update......

Negotiations continue on development agreement for new $2B. casino


(Published: October 23, 2007)

ATLANTIC CITY - There will be a new Revel Boulevard and a new Revel Beach. That much is known. But there are some serious issues that must be resolved before the revelry can truly begin.
Negotiators are trying to overcome some formidable obstacles in a development agreement that could allow Revel Entertainment Group to break ground on a proposed $2 billion megacasino as soon as Nov. 9.
The agreement has already been rewritten several times and more revisions are needed before City Council is ready to vote on it, perhaps as early as its meeting today, said Councilman Dennis Mason, a key negotiator.
"It's gone through many drafts and we're waiting on another one. There is a chance that we won't do it (today)," Mason said in an interview Tuesday afternoon while talks continued between city representatives and Revel.
Revel, an upstart gaming company backed by Wall Street financial giant Morgan Stanley, plans to build a casino complex that would include two hotel towers totaling 3,800 rooms, 150,000 square feet of casino space and 500,000 square feet of dining, retail and entertainment attractions. A grand opening is expected in 2011.
The development agreement lays out the rights and responsibilities of both sides before construction begins on the project. Revel is tentatively scheduled to seek city Planning Board approval Nov. 7 and break ground on the casino two days later if the agreement is authorized by City Council, Mason said.
"I would really like to see the groundbreaking on Nov. 9. But if in any way the city is in jeopardy, it may not take place," Mason said.
Kevin DeSanctis, Revel's chairman and chief executive officer, was unavailable for comment Tuesday. Revel spokesman Joseph Jaffoni also could not be reached.
Revel is developing a 20-acre oceanfront site next to Showboat Casino Hotel. The long-vacant property has already been declared the Revel Redevelopment Area by the city. As part of the development agreement, a portion of Connecticut Avenue serving the site would be renamed Revel Boulevard and the surrounding area would be called Revel Beach.
However, negotiations involving the fate of two city-owned landmarks, Bader Field and the Garden Pier, threaten to sidetrack the agreement. Mason said talks have been complicated by the demands of a third party, the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority, the state agency that oversees redevelopment projects in the city.
"There are compromises that have to be made," Mason said. "But we need the CRDA and their resources to move this thing."
The latest draft of the Revel agreement contains a clause on Bader Field stating that any casino development at the former municipal airport would have to be preceded by construction of a new road link to the Atlantic City Expressway. If that condition is not met, Bader Field's developer would have to pay liquidated damages of $1 million a day to the city.
Thomas D. Carver, executive director of the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority, objects to the clause, arguing that it would discourage development of Bader Field at the same time his agency is conducting an analysis of the site to determine its "highest and best use."
"We have some very serious concerns about the liquidated damages they want to put in the agreement," he said. "We are concerned it could hinder or tie up the development of Bader Field for a long time."
Carver said he hopes the development agreement would allow for Bader's redevelopment while also protecting Revel's interest. Revel is one of the gaming companies in town that oppose the possible rezoning of the 140-acre Bader site for casinos.
"We're 100 percent behind the Revel project, but we're also trying to work with the city and Revel to proceed with Bader's redevelopment without frightening developers," Carver said.
In addition to the debate over Bader Field, another sensitive issue is what would become of the Garden Pier once Revel builds its casino. Garden Pier, dilapidated on the ocean end but home to the Atlantic City Arts Center and the Atlantic City Historical Museum on the Boardwalk side, may be consolidated within the Revel site.
City Council is expected to discuss whether to sell or lease the Garden Pier to Revel as part of the development agreement. Mason said he prefers leasing the pier to Revel to ensure a steady stream of income to the city, but is absolutely against any deal that would simply give the site to the company.
"If you want the pier, you have to pay for the pier," he said. "No more giveaways." - By staff writer Donald Wittkowski

[American Gaming Guru]

More time needed for Revel casino development agreement

By DONALD WITTKOWSKI Staff Writer, 609-272-7258
Published: Thursday, October 25, 2007
ATLANTIC CITY - Revel Entertainment Group (http://www.inform.com/Revel+Entertainment+Group+LLC) likely will need about two more weeks to wrap up a city development agreement for its proposed $2 billion megacasino, according to the company's chief executive.
If all goes as planned, Revel may start work as soon as Nov. 9 for the piles and foundations that will serve as the underpinnings of the oceanfront project. However, the company is currently not considering a groundbreaking ceremony to celebrate the occasion.
"The whole concept of a formal groundbreaking is something I haven't spent a lot of time thinking about," said Kevin DeSanctis (http://www.inform.com/Kevin+DeSanctis), Revel's chairman and chief executive officer. "What I would say is that Nov. 9 is a possibility for starting the pilings, footings and foundations."
Revel is in the closing stages of a development agreement with the city that will lay out the rights and responsibilities of both sides for the new casino - a colossus of two hotel towers totaling 3,800 rooms, 150,000 square feet of gaming space and 500,000 square feet of retail, dining and entertainment attractions.
Concurrent to the negotiations for the development agreement, Revel is seeking construction approvals from state and city agencies. Among them, the company is scheduled to appear at a Nov. 7 city Planning Board meeting. At that time, Revel will publicly unveil architectural renderings for the casino, DeSanctis said.
Originally, it was thought that City Council might be ready to vote on the development agreement Wednesday, but DeSanctis stressed that talks probably will continue for two more weeks.
"We've had a really good discussion and we're going back and forth," he said. "I don't think anyone wants to rush it. It's too important."
Major issues that still need to be resolved are the possible redevelopment of Bader Field and the fate of Garden Pier. DeSanctis suggested putting all talks aside for the moment on Garden Pier, the city-owned Boardwalk site that may be consolidated within the Revel project if a sale or lease can be arranged.
"Garden Pier is something we have all decided to put on the back burner," DeSanctis said. "It just seems to be an issue that we'll come back to at some point. There's been this question about the value of Garden Pier.
"First, we all have to agree on how you determine value for Garden Pier. Once you determine value, then you can sit down and work out an agreement," he continued.
Revel's negotiations are also being influenced by debate over Bader Field, the former municipal airport that is awaiting redevelopment in years to come, possibly for new casinos. DeSanctis said Revel isn't opposed to Bader's redevelopment, but wants assurances that transportation improvements will be in place before construction begins at the 140-acre site at the foot of the Route 40 corridor.
"We would not be supportive of anything happening at Bader Field unless there is a comprehensive traffic solution," DeSanctis said.
The latest draft of the Revel agreement contains a clause on Bader Field stating that any casino development there would have to be preceded by construction of a new road link to the Atlantic City (http://www.inform.com/Atlantic+City) Expressway. If that condition is not met, Bader Field's developer would have to pay liquidated damages of
$1 million per day to the city.
The controversial clause, already generating opposition from some state officials, would slow down development at Bader Field and is seen as a way of protecting Boardwalk casinos such as Revel's from new competition.
Revel plans to build on a 20-acre site next to the Showboat Casino Hotel (http://www.inform.com/Showboat+Atlantic+City). A grand opening is expected in 2011.
Although it is partners with Wall Street (http://www.inform.com/Wall+Street) financial giant Morgan Stanley (http://www.inform.com/Morgan+Stanley), Revel still must line up financing for the project. DeSanctis said he expects to secure a combination of bank loans and bond funding. Analysts have noted that financing could be hampered by current difficulties in the bond market.
To e-mail Donald Wittkowski (http://www.inform.com/Donald+Wittkowski) at The Press: DWittkowski@pressofac.com (DWittkowski@pressofac.com)

[American Gaming Guru]

MGM may want to roll the dice at Bader Field

By DONALD WITTKOWSKI Staff Writer, 609-272-7258
Published: Wednesday, October 31, 2007
http://pressofatlanticcity-proxy.nandomedia.com/ips_rich_content/49-bader_001.jpg
MGM Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Terry Lanni asys his company would be 'very interested' in Bader Field if local officials open the area to casino development.
Staff photo by Ben Fogletto


ATLANTIC CITY (http://www.inform.com/Atlantic+City) - Gaming giant MGM Mirage Inc. (http://www.inform.com/MGM+Mirage+Inc.), which already plans to build a $5 billion megaresort that would redefine the Atlantic City market, put itself in line Tuesday to develop another major site if the land is rezoned for casinos.
While other gaming companies are opposed to opening up Bader Field for casino development, MGM's chief executive would like to see the 140-acre former municipal airport transformed into a casino attraction.
"If and when the governor, the City Council and the other powers that be determine that is an area that could be developed into resort casino development, we would be very interested in it," said Terry Lanni (http://www.inform.com/Terry+Lanni), MGM's chairman and chief executive officer.
Lanni's comments, made during an MGM conference call to discuss the company's third-quarter earnings, likely will put intense pressure on political leaders to reach agreement on Bader's redevelopment. Already, Las Vegas (http://www.inform.com/Las+Vegas) casino mogul Steve Wynn (http://www.inform.com/Steve+Wynn) has promised to build a massive casino resort if he is given control of the site.
Alluding to Wynn, Lanni said he is concerned about press reports that suggest the city has already anointed Wynn as its preferred developer, although no decisions have been made while political debate continues on Bader Field's future.
"If I read the press, it just seems like one company has been assigned that particular site, and I think that's a mistake, because I know a number of us who are interested in that site," Lanni said, without divulging the names of other possible developers.
At the same time, some casino companies are vigorously opposed to converting Bader into a casino site. Dan Lee (http://www.inform.com/Dan+Lee), chairman and CEO of Pinnacle Entertainment Inc., has threatened to abandon his company's plans for a $1.5 billion gaming resort on the site of the old Sands Casino Hotel (http://www.inform.com/Sands+Atlantic+City) if Bader is approved for casinos.
Lanni argued that opponents should not fear the extra competition. Combined with new casino projects across town in the Marina District, Bader's redevelopment could dramatically reshape Atlantic City into more of a Las Vegas-style tourist destination that would brush aside competition from the modest slot parlors in Pennsylvania (http://www.inform.com/Pennsylvania), he said.
"If we have a must-see site that is a destination resort ... we believe that will more than offset what is happening in Pennsylvania," Lanni said. "To date, as you know, Pennsylvania has slot houses, basically."
Pennsylvania's slot parlors are largely to blame for a nearly 5 percent drop in Atlantic City gaming revenue in the first nine months this year. If trends hold, 2007 will represent the first annual decline in revenue since casino gambling began in 1978.
Meanwhile, MGM's interest in Bader Field comes as the company is moving forward with plans for a $4.5 billion to $5 billion project in the Marina District that would be the city's largest and most expensive casino ever.
The 3,000-room development, expected to open in 2012, will rise on a 72-acre site next to Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa, which MGM jointly owns with Boyd Gaming Corp. (http://www.inform.com/Boyd+Gaming+Corporation) The posh Borgata, the top-grossing casino, has proved that the market is ready for affluent New York (http://www.inform.com/New+York) customers who previously rejected Atlantic City as too mundane, Lanni said.
"Atlantic City has one opportunity to develop destination resorts that are second to none," he said. "They're the premier resorts on the East Coast and they would attract the New York rejectors as well as people from the Philadelphia (http://www.inform.com/Philadelphia) marketplace."
MGM's proposed casino would cater to a more upscale crowd by offering an array of high-end retail shops, restaurants and entertainment to complement the gaming action. Lanni noted that MGM has reserved 12 acres of the site for possible development of luxury condominiums.
"We will build a destination resort that will keep people coming to Atlantic City and staying for a lot longer period of time than they have in the past," he said.
While most of his remarks focused on Bader Field and the company's $5 billion casino project, Lanni also noted that MGM is considering offers for a 14-acre parcel it owns next to Trump Marina Hotel Casino (http://www.inform.com/Trump+Marina). He said the value of the site has grown tremendously because of MGM's casino plans across the street in the Marina District.
"There is significant interest in outright purchasing, a joint venture, anything you can possibly name," Lanni said.
MGM currently is embroiled in a court fight with a would-be condo developer who wanted to buy the 14 acres, but failed, and then sued to try to gain ownership. A Superior Court judge ruled in MGM's favor in February, but the developer has appealed.
"We won the original case, but it's on appeal, so it's probably more prudent for us to wait through the legal process before we do anything," Lanni explained of the development options.
To e-mail Donald Wittkowski (http://www.inform.com/Donald+Wittkowski) at The Press: DWittkowski@pressofac.com (DWittkowski@pressofac.com)

[STT757]

Airport Launches Marketing Pitch Aimed at Growth

Airport officials hope additional rooms at the casino-hotels and less congestion for passengers will attract more big-name airlines.

Campaign capitalizes on more hotel rooms, expansion plans in Atlantic City

10/29/2007

EGG HARBOR
Atlantic City International Airport wants desperately to be bigger, and is waging a marketing campaign that emphasizes the area’s increase of hotel rooms, planned expansions at the airport and passengers’ difficulty navigating busier rival airports.

“Realistically, over the next 18 months I’d like to be able to announce two new carriers in addition to more service from the existing carriers,” says Sharon Gordon, director of communications and marketing for the South Jersey Transportation Authority, which owns the airport.

Currently, the airport has two major carriers, Spirit Airlines and Delta Air Lines, running a total of 14 flights in and out of the airport every day.

Gordon says she is talking with airlines at Newark Liberty International Airport and Philadelphia International Airport in an effort to convince them to run some of their flights out of Atlantic City, where there is less congestion for the aircrafts on runways and for passengers in the terminal.

“We’re working in concert with the Philadelphia and Newark airports,” says Gordon, who notes, for example, that Continental Airlines in Newark could benefit by getting closer to passengers in South Jersey. And Newark Airport could benefit by relocating some flights to reduce overcrowding at its facility, she says.

Gordon seems to have more ammunition than ever as she wages the airport’s long-running battle to convince airlines that Atlantic City Airport is a place they should be. The arsenal includes an explosion of new hotel rooms planned for the nearby gambling resort to attract air travelers; a new $24.5 million parking garage under construction that will more than double parking at the airport to 2,700 spots; and a $13.5 million planned expansion of the runway apron that will create space for more aircraft while freeing up space to eventually double the number of gates from seven to 14.

“This destination has arrived and the prospect for (attracting new) air service to Atlantic City has never been better,” Gordon says.

But getting airlines to move to Atlantic City isn’t easy.

“The greatest barrier to our marketing efforts is our proximity to Newark and Philadelphia airports,” Gordon says. “We have overlapping markets, and the major airlines say they are already serving those markets. In their minds, they are comfortable in New York and Philly.”

It costs an airline $7 million to move to a new airport, and it’s risky, Gordon says.

Here’s her pitch to airlines in a nutshell: “You can save money and still capture the market. You can avoid congestion and air-space capacity issues. We are between New York and Philly and we have less congestion.”

Atlantic City Airport is overcoming one of its longest-running problems—the small number of hotel rooms that limit the number of overnight customers the city attracts. The city has 18,000 hotel rooms, compared with Las Vegas where there are 120,000 hotel rooms, says Richard C. Perniciaro, director of The Center for Regional and Business Research at Atlantic Cape Community College.

The expansion of three casino properties—the Borgata, Harrah’s Atlantic City and Trump Taj Mahal—will add 2,500 new hotel rooms next year, bringing the total number of hotel rooms in the resort city to 20,500.

Meanwhile, the planned construction of three new casino-hotels is expected to bring 9,000 more rooms over the next five years.

“There was always the thought you need at least 20,000 to 24,000 rooms to get [more] airline service in Atlantic City, and it is getting very close to that,” Perniciaro says. “They are getting closer to where airline service gets more vital and more possible. The city has been aiming for that plateau.”

Says Gordon, “New hotel rooms are going to jump-start the opportunity” to get more flights.

http://www.njbiz.com/weekly_article_reg.asp?aID=94849818.5750651.939809 .3772639.9408212.777&aID2=72284

[voodoochild]

May 9, 2004

Atlantic City Seeks New Image: Las Vegas's

By IVER PETERSON

ATLANTIC CITY, May 6 - Atlantic City turns 150 this summer, and it's busy working up its next act.

It sold cool ocean breezes by day and bawdy entertainment at night back when cities on the East Coast had tight morals and no air-conditioning.

Then it sold gambling, when the only other legal gambling was some 2,000 miles away in Nevada.

And now, with gambling almost everywhere, and more on the way, the Atlantic City casinos and the New Jersey state government are spending close to $1 billion to remake the city into a glossy shopping, entertainment and - yes - gambling attraction, with Las Vegas as its model.

"We are going to make ourselves into the Queen City of the Atlantic again," said Curtis J. Bashaw, executive director of the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority, which collects a 1.25 percent tax on casino revenue and puts it back into economic development projects in the city and elsewhere in the state.

The urgency is clear in the city's books: except for the Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa, which opened in July, the city's casino revenue is barely growing, as more and more gambling outlets open in a tightening ring around the shore. Delaware and West Virginia now have casinos; the two giant Indian casinos in Connecticut are attracting New Yorkers, and more may be on the way; Pennsylvania wants to install slot machines at horse tracks, including in Philadelphia, which is practically in Atlantic City's backyard. And Gov. George E. Pataki wants to open three half-billion-dollar Indian resort casinos in the Catskills, 30 miles closer to the heart of Manhattan than Atlantic City, which is 130 miles away.

According to an analysis by Harrah's 2003 Profile of the American Casino Gambler, more of the metropolitan Washington's 700,000 casino gamblers go to Delaware or West Virginia - places that did not have legal gambling 10 years ago - than come here. Baltimore and Philadelphia are sending a growing share of its gamblers someplace else. And even though the New York metropolitan region's 5 million regular gamblers still favor Atlantic City, 13 percent go to Connecticut, and more will head to the Catskills when the opportunity comes.

There is also a sense here, although no one says it out loud, that this town is not attracting enough of the right kind of people, which is to say people with time and money - the kind who fly to Las Vegas for a week of gambling, dining and shopping.

In fact, Atlantic City's businesses have complained about "shoobies," a derogatory reference to day trippers that dates back to an era when they carried their lunches in shoe boxes. The sense here is that the city has to keep people here for longer stays.

"We will wean ourselves from being the image of a day-trip destination to being a hot spot again," Mr. Bashaw said.

Although Atlantic City's 12 casinos take in about the same $4.5 billion a year in gambling that the 22 big hotels along the Vegas Strip do, they make only $300 million on nongambling attractions like shopping, dining and personal care spas. "And I think even that $300 million is exaggerated," said Dennis C. Gomes, head of the Tropicana Casino and Resort in Atlantic City and president for resort operations at the Aztar Corporation, which owns the Tropicana here and the Tropicana in Las Vegas.

The Las Vegas hotels make much more on nongambling operations, $9.5 billion last year, according to Frank Streshley of the Nevada Gaming Control Board, although that figure includes revenue from a 23rd casino.

No wonder, then, that the buzzword around here is "nongaming revenue." The Sands announced on Thursday that it had started planning for a hotel expansion, with more shopping and entertainment space. Caesars and Gordon Group Holdings are spending $150 million to gut the old Ocean One pier, which was, until recently, a dingy warren of cheap shops and restaurants across the Boardwalk from Caesars. They plan to put in a high-end shopping and dining attraction, with Gucci already signed as a tenant, and Polo and Tiffany among the others in lease negotiations, Mr. Bashaw said.

Sheldon Gordon, chairman of Gordon Group Holdings, bet his fortune to build the Forum Shops at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. The Roman-themed arcade has been wildly successful. The project in Atlantic City will be the Pier at Caesars, and its motto, "If you liked the desert, you'll love the ocean."

At the same time, Harrah's Atlantic City recently announced a new hotel and shopping tower project; Resorts Atlantic City is scheduled to open its new $125 million, 27-story hotel tower later this summer and is in discussions over more expansion; and Mr. Gomes's Tropicana will open its new shopping, dining and spa addition, designed to recall pre-Castro Havana and called The Quarter, this fall.

Copyright 2004 The New York Times Company
I can't see this ever happening. The surrounding area is waaaaaay to dangerous and run down. Everywhere you look there is a homeless person strung out on drugs. I can't see anyone wanteing to spend more than one day there, but I'll give it an E for effort.

[66nexus]

I can't see this ever happening. The surrounding area is waaaaaay to dangerous and run down. Everywhere you look there is a homeless person strung out on drugs. I can't see anyone wanteing to spend more than one day there, but I'll give it an E for effort.


Outside downtown Las Vegas and the Strip is the same story. And the surrounding areas aren't for tourists anyway

[giselehaslice]

yeah that area is creepy and run-down, but I cant think of one urban city in the world that doesnt have a creepy and run-down area.

Anyway, take a look around next time you're in AC, you'll see progress everywhere.

[voodoochild]

yeah that area is creepy and run-down, but I cant think of one urban city in the world that doesnt have a creepy and run-down area.

Anyway, take a look around next time you're in AC, you'll see progress everywhere.

I have to say....AC has already put up really nice shopping strips etc..I just can't see people saying.."Let's go take a weeks vacation in AC." You are also right about Vegas....I went to some club on the outskirts and couldn't get a cab back and walked a good 2 miles...woah...it was creeeeepy.

[MidtownGuy]

I don't think anyone expects AC visitors to settle in for a week, they don't even expect that in Vegas. I think they're going for 1, 2 or 3 night stays.

[investordude]

I don't like taking a zero sum view of the world, but certainly, the lack of this casino getting built is good for Atlantic City: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/01/nyregion/01casino.html?_r=1&%20ef=nyregion&%20ref=slogin

The next mayor of Philly is a Giuliani conservative (though he'll never admit because he's affiliated as a Democrat). But given he's conservative, I think he'll kill the Philly casino too.

If Atlantic City ever wants to compete with Vegas, it needs to attract the sexuality of Vegas. Cirque du Soleil, dance clubs, strip clubs, and "in room entertainers" are why people go to Vegas - without that Atlantic City will always be primarily for aging bus people wasting their social security checks on slot machines.

[giselehaslice]

Finally the Renderings of the Mega-casino have been released! Go to http://theatlanticsource.blogspot.com too see the renderings!

[STT757]

Bader Field casino plan winning converts
Wednesday, November 07, 2007

Now everyone wants a piece of Bader Field.

The 150-acre former municipal airfield -- where the word "airport" was first coined -- has been a source of controversy among casinos ever since government officials said they would consider allowing gambling resorts there.

Some big names have been drooling over the prospect of building gigantic resorts on a huge plot of land -- hard to come by in A.C. Gambling mogul Steve Wynn is interested. Penn National has been sniffing around.

But Boardwalk operators have vehemently opposed the plan. And none has been more vocal than Pinnacle Entertainment Chairman Dan Lee, who vowed to scrap his company's plans for a multibillion-dollar resort on the site of the former Sands if casinos were allowed on Bader Field.

Casinos at Bader Field would "draw people away from the Boardwalk district, so we end up with the crack addicts and the hookers," Lee said during an interview last spring, "and you end up with a competitor who doesn't have to deal with that."

What a difference a few months -- and meeting with the governor -- makes.

During a conference call with investors yesterday, Lee said he would actually consider vying for a casino at Bader in addition to building one along the Boardwalk. His remarks followed those by MGM Mirage Chairman Terry Lanni, who last week said he would also be interested in a Bader Field casino. MGM recently announced plans for a $5 billion resort next to Borgata.

Why the change of heart?

Lee said he spoke to Gov. Jon Corzine during the Oct. 18 implosion of the Sands and the governor was "clearly interested in seeing the Boardwalk area being redeveloped and improved."

Lee said he told Corzine: "'I'm worried if you don't do it right, Bader will suck the oxygen out of the Boardwalk.' And (Corzine) said, 'We don't want to do that.'

In an interview after the implosion, Corzine said he thought it would take some time before the issues with Bader Field are hammered out. The city owns the land and has considered selling it to raise money to pay off debt and offset the pain of a looming tax revaluation. And the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority recently hired a consultant to study its best use.

Even if the state and the city were to agree on what to do with Bader Field, roads would need to be built and an environmental assessment would have to be done.

That could take years.

"We're going to have to see how we go on Bader over a period of time," Corzine said after the casino implosion. "It's a complicated project."

Some industry observers have wondered if companies like Pinnacle and MGM could use Bader as an excuse to delay their previously announced projects in A.C.

But Joe Weinert, senior vice president of the consulting firm Spectrum Gaming Group, said companies have come to realize Bader's 150 acres offers an enticing prospect in the country's second-largest gambling city.

"Arguably that is one of the most attractive casino development sites in the world," Weinert said. "So you can either fight, or you can join. I think those who fight it essentially would be buying time. Those who join in are buying the possibility of a very handsome reward at some point."

<http://www.nj.com>

[American Gaming Guru]

Revel beachfront casino gains Atlantic City approval (http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/top_story/story/7514996p-7413993c.html)
http://pressofatlanticcity-proxy.nandomedia.com/ips_rich_content/641-revel%20casino_001.jpg (http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/top_story/story/7514996p-7413993c.html)5:25 p.m. Update - Revel Entertainment Group won city planning approval Wednesday for...


5:25 p.m. Update -

Revel Entertainment Group (http://www.inform.com/Revel+Entertainment+Group+LLC) won city planning approval Wednesday for a $2 billion casino resort that will feature a striking twin tower design and an array of gaming, dining and retail attractions in a curvy building overlooking the Boardwalk.

In a surprise development, the company revealed that the casino is expected to open in the second half of 2010, dramatically speeding up the timetable from the original target date of 2011.


The hotel towers, each containing 1,900 rooms, will soar 710 feet high, dwarfing anything on the Boardwalk. A lower building known as the "podium" will hold the casino, retail shops, restaurants and nightclubs. Its undulating facade will offer spectacular views of the beach and ocean.


Kevin DeSanctis (http://www.inform.com/Kevin+DeSanctis), Revel chairman and chief executive officer, said construction should begin on the foundation work by the end of November. The 20-acre site is bordered by New Jersey Oriental and Metropolitan avenues and the Boardwalk. - Donald Wittkowski (http://www.inform.com/Donald+Wittkowski), Staff Writer See Thursday's edition of The Press for complete coverage.

[American Gaming Guru]

giselehaslice, I like the blogspot and your link to Revel's website with further renderings!

I like what I see. It reminds me a bit of a cross between MGM's City Center and The Cosmopolitan, which are both under construction in Vegas. What is completely striking to me is this slide. Does anyone else recognize the McDonald's and Starbucks logo's in what appears to be a boardwalk entrance or transparent wall??? What a shame. I sincerely hope that this was a mistake or that the entrance to this otherwise beautiful resort will not be the Golden Arches!
http://www.revelentertainment.com/images/photogallery/full/Revel-Exterior5.jpg

[Fabrizio]

Dreadful.

I find it very hard to believe that this is anywhere near what will be built. After all the talk about restoring the b'walk to it's former glory?

It looks like the outside of a sports stadium.... not the streetwall of a grand promenade.

[lofter1]

For many Americans a sports stadium = St. Peter's Cathedral.

go figure

[Fabrizio]

Note the extra-cheese design motif on the tower walls. Look familiar?

I wonder how long AtlanticCitians have to wait for the re-clad:

(place side-by-side)

http://www.theslatinreport.com/content/pictures/newverizon.jpg

[giselehaslice]

okay, I dont want to start a fight, but I think that this new resort looks fine, and there is absolutely no way that a fake looking remake of an early 1900's Atlantic City building would look classy..that just screams cheesy to me. While I beleive that it is important for the city to retain its history, I also think that it has to live in the 21st century too.

^ As for the McDonalds at the Revel Casino, I pray also that this is just a prelimenary sketch, and that it will not include the McDonalds. In reality, I actually strongly beleive that Micky D's wont accupy any space in the resort.

Anyway, Its cool because theyre now saying that this will open in the middle of 2010! :cool:

[JCexpert558]

I really hope that they raise the height limit to at least 1500 feet because I would like to se a super tall building in Atlantic City.:)

[unknown memory]

It looks nice in the rendering...but... what they have to offer with this new mega-resort is disappointing. *sighs* Ah well. There's always another resort to wait and see....

[Fabrizio]

The fact that the company is showing a rendering of a billion dollar building complex emblazoned with McDonalds and Starbucks logos is just strange.

Could you imagine the rendering of a new luxury mega-resort for Las Vegas with the same?

[American Gaming Guru]

I really don’t get it. The name too 'Revel". It just does not give the feeling of allure as does Borgata, Mirage, Bellagio etc. Make no mistake about it, the CEO, Kevin DeSanctis, is undoubtedly one of the most brilliant people in gaming. But what has been presented here, while incredibly good for Atlantic City, is a bit blah.....

Perhaps more details form the Star Ledger help:


<H1 class=red>A.C. revels in plans for casino

</H1>New site's preliminary approval gets company closer to winning deal

Thursday, November 08, 2007 BY JUDY DeHAVEN

Newhouse News Service
It seems casino companies are always touting multibillion-dollar plans for Atlantic City.
But Revel Entertainment is the one putting the shovel in the ground. And it's doing so without the usual fanfare.

http://ads15.udc.advance.net/RealMedia/ads/adstream_lx.ads/www.nj.com/xml/story/times_of_trenton/bz/bz/1640537297/StoryAd/NJONLINE/HSBC03_NJ_RoS_Rect02/851410.html/64316266616638323437333331643830?_RM_EMPTY_&
Yesterday, the company, headed by former Penn National chief operating officer Kevin DeSanctis and backed by Wall Street firm Morgan Stanley, gave the public its first peak at what Atlantic City's 12th and newest resort will look like as it went before the city's planning board for preliminary site approval of its project.
The drawings show two thin silver towers that will be the tallest in A.C., with an elevated podium in between, landscaped with greenery and lots of water. Atlantic City is, after all, a beach town, and Revel hopes to capitalize on that with cabanas, an indoor and outdoor pool and nightclubs overlooking and facing the beach. It also will have a private beach heated with fire pits during the winter.
City and state officials hope Revel's project will be the start of a $10 billion building boom that will include a $2 billion casino from Pinnacle Entertainment on the former Sands casino site and a $5 billion resort from MGM Mirage next to Borgata. A fourth, from Wally Barr, former Park Place Entertainment CEO, and Curtis Bashaw, former executive director of the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority, also is in the works next to Hilton.
"This is very significant for the city," A.C.'s Planning Director William Crane said in an interview after the meeting. "It's the next step up from Borgata. And it should be something that sets the bar a little higher in helping the city develop as a destination resort."
Borgata was the last new Atlantic City casino to open -- in July 2003.
The preliminary site plan approval allows Revel to start work on piles and foundations and was the first in a series it needs before it starts major construction. The company also expects to receive final approval of its redevelopment agreement with the city today.
But crews, which have already done prep work on the site, will start major construction without the usual dog-and-pony groundbreaking ceremony.
"We're very excited that we can start our foundations and footings, but at the same time, we have a long road ahead of us," DeSanctis said. "And there will be an appropriate milestone in which to really celebrate."
To be sure, some details are still being hammered out. Like the price tag. In recent months, DeSanctis said the casino would be in the $2 billion range. Yesterday, he said it was going to cost less than MGM Mirage's proposal but more than Pinnacle's.
Revel also needs project financing. Currently, the company is operating from interim financing provided by Morgan Stanley, although the privately held company has not divulged details. DeSanctis said he expects to go out for full project financing during the first quarter of 2008. He did not seem worried the turmoil of the credit markets would hurt his chances. And he said the resort's opening has been pushed up, to late 2010, from 2011.
The 20-acre site -- one of the largest contiguous plots in Atlantic City -- is next to Showboat along the Boardwalk. Crane, the planning director, said he was pleased to see Revel incorporated the beach into its Boardwalk entrance -- the opposite of what Boardwalk casinos did when they opened more than 20 years ago and designed the casinos to keep people inside gambling. Revel's resort will have 1,000 feet of beach frontage.
The casino -- a total of 150,000 square feet, smaller only than Bally's -- will have 40-foot ceilings with a mezzanine level. And while two towers with roughly 1,900 rooms each are planned, DeSanctis said the second may not be built initially but could come later.
As Atlantic City is trying to differentiate itself from slot parlors in neighboring states, Revel's plans also include a lot of non-gambling items, like shops, a 5,500-seat theater and a spa. DeSanctis said it was designed to be more of a resort with a casino than a traditional casino with a few restaurants and bars.
He said while conceptualizing the project, he thought of it as a big party room. Hence the company name, Revel.
"What are we trying to accomplish?" he asked. "The whole concept of having a party. And that's what revel means. (We wanted) to created a really great experience to make people say, 'Oh man, this is going to be fun.'"

[American Gaming Guru]

"The drawings show two thin silver towers that will be the tallest in A.C., with an elevated podium in between, landscaped with greenery and lots of water. Atlantic City is, after all, a beach town, and Revel hopes to capitalize on that with cabanas, an indoor and outdoor pool and nightclubs overlooking and facing the beach. It also will have a private beach heated with fire pits during the winter"

Now that talks to me!

[STT757]

I hoping one of these new projects (Revel, Pinnacle, MGM etc) will bring Nobu to Atlantic City.

[giselehaslice]

ok, the renderings are obviously preliminary, and i can guarantee that McDonalds wont be a part of it. I think once it is done, it will be a very nice place....for over 2B dollars it will have to be. Just give it a chance before you go and shoot it down..

Some people on this thread seem to shoot down everything though, i guess some people will never be pleased...

[American Gaming Guru]

I just heard that Harrah's has scheduled a topping-off ceremony for their new 525 ft tower this Thursday 11/15 at 11:00am.

[arcman210]

Casino builders roll the dice big time in Atlantic City
Posted by the Asbury Park Press (http://www.app.com/) on 11/13/07

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

ATLANTIC CITY — Five years from now, you might not recognize this place.
A burst of new, luxurious mega-casino projects to be built by 2012 will transform the face of Atlantic City into a more futuristic — and crowded — gambling resort.
At least four companies are betting a combined $9 billion that the makeover will help Atlantic City catch up with Las Vegas as a place to come — and stay — for more than just gambling.
Last week, Revel Entertainment Group unveiled drawings of its new $2 billion casino-resort, to be called simply "Revel." Due to open in the second half of 2010, at 710 feet, it will be the tallest building in Atlantic City — at least for a while.
It will feature two thin towers standing perpendicular to the water's edge, with as many as 3,900 rooms, and even Atlantic City's first casino wedding chapel. The interior complex, between the towers, is rounded so that it looks as if it has been shaped by gentle ocean waves.
Revel is partnering with investment firm Morgan Stanley on the project.
The casino will be Atlantic City's 12th, and the first one to open since the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa debuted in 2003 and redefined the public's image of what the Las Vegas experience should look and feel like in New Jersey.
Hot on the heels of "Revel" will be another mega-casino to be built by Pinnacle Entertainment on the site of the former Sands Hotel Casino, opening in late 2011 or early 2012. The granddaddy of them all, a $5 billion casino resort planned by MGM Mirage in the marina district next to the Borgata, will be the largest project Atlantic City has ever seen when the first dice start tumbling in 2012.
The burst of new investment is the largest in Atlantic City since the start of casino gambling in 1978.
"Since the inception of New Jersey's gaming industry, there has been approximately $12 billion of capital investment to date," said Joseph Corbo, president of the Casino Association of New Jersey. "While that is significant by any standard, what is very encouraging is that about $4 billion of that investment was made in the past four years or so."
Pinnacle has been tight-lipped about its Atlantic City project, other than to estimate its price at between $1.5 and $2 billion. It won't say what it will look like or even what it will be called.
But last week, the company's chairman and CEO, Daniel Lee, said that in addition to its Boardwalk project, Pinnacle might consider joining the scrum of casino operators vying to build on the former Bader Field airport property, a 150-acre tract whose land alone could fetch $1 billion on the open market.
"We have two in St. Louis; we could have two in Atlantic City," Lee said last week.
It marked a turnaround for Pinnacle, which had threatened for months to scrap its Boardwalk project if the city and state permitted someone else to build a casino on Bader Field. The company maintained it would be at a competitive disadvantage because the newcomer would not have to buy multiple parcels, knock down buildings and clean up the site — as Pinnacle is doing on the Sands property.
Corbo estimated as many as three new casinos could be built at Bader Field if a city panel determines casino development is right for the area.
Saving the biggest for last, "MGM Atlantic City" will wrest the title from Revel as Atlantic City's tallest building when it opens in 2012. It will have three hotel towers with a combined total of more than 3,000 rooms, the largest casino floor in Atlantic City with 5,000 slot machines, 200 table games and 500,000 square feet of retail space, among other attractions.
MGM is a partner in The Borgata with Boyd Gaming.
A possible fourth new casino to be built on land near the Atlantic City Hilton Casino Resort by Curtis Bashaw, the former Casino Reinvestment chairman, and Wally Barr, the former chief executive officer of Caesar's Entertainment, is also on the drawing board.
The new casinos will join an already-expanding skyline: The Borgata, Trump Taj Mahal Casino resort, and Harrah's Atlantic City are all building second hotel towers. Earlier this year, the Hilton floated the idea of a $1 billion expansion, but company officials won't say if that's still on the table.
The new investment is not only attracting others interested in entering the Atlantic City market, but also forcing those already here to spend more to keep up or risk becoming irrelevant.
"This is exactly the development cycle that Las Vegas has experienced over the past 15 to 20 years and is what Atlantic City is poised to achieve as well," Corbo said.

http://www.app.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071113/BUSINESS/711130329/1003

[American Gaming Guru]

I just found this on the Architects website (www.arquitectonica.com (http://www.arquitectonica.com/)):

“This new US$2.5 Billion Casino Resort in two iconic towers on the beachfront of Atlantic City includes 3,600 hotel rooms, as well as cabanas that overlook the ocean. An urban public plaza opens up to a grand esplanade which moves through the site. Performance space is open to the building entry, allowing arriving visitors a glimpse of the action inside. The project also includes a 3 level Tao Nightclub which opens onto the pool deck. Future plans include a Garden Pier that will jut into the ocean and will include 30 high-end villas with private terraces, a private pool deck, a helipad and approx 60,000 SF (5,570m2) of Banquet/Convention Space. The total project development is over 6.4 million square feet (595,000m2).”

I am liking this project more and more as details come out!

[giselehaslice]

^ a TAO nightclub? This officially marks the arrival of Atlantic City as a celebrity destination as well as a fantastic place to party!

[Fabrizio]

It is just so ironic that while Atlantic City will be seeing buildings that look like illuminated 1960's office towers (sorry if I'm not enthusiastic)...
Las Vegas is getting towers that look like the old Dennis and The Marlborough:


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v33/ronaldo/a1.jpg

http://www.vegastodayandtomorrow.com/the-plaza.htm

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v33/ronaldo/dennis.jpg

[giselehaslice]

The Plaza Las Vegas (rendering above), in my opinion, will be the cheesiest thing ever. It may be trying to recreate grandeur, but it will just be soooo incredibly corny no matter what they do. Don't get me wrong, I love Vegas, but I wouldnt wish this grotesque jumbled up building on anyone.

It actually kinda reminds me of the excalibur:p

[Fabrizio]

Look, I'm convinced Aquatonica is going to do a nice job for Revel and the finished product will be much more than what that rendering shows.... but STILL... even if the Plaza project does have a high kitsch element, I wish we could have some old-style AC romance on the skyline.... and if not that, then how about some progressive modern stuff...some new classics... ANYTHING other than mundane mirrored boxes. The Dennis, Traymore, Blenheim, called themselves sand-castles by the sea... they too were exuberant and unrestrained.

[JCexpert558]

Can some one post some new pictures of the Atlantic City skyline so far:D

[investordude]

I mean - wouldn't we be disappointed if the Plaza isn't cheezy? I mean, that's the whole point - Vegas is a guilty pleasure. Atlantic City should try to emulate the fun.

[American Gaming Guru]

I agree. How Aquitectonica not do a great job??? They are hands-down one of the best architectural firms on the planet.

In regards to The Plaza project, if Elad does it right utilizing brink, stone, copper roof tops etc as they said they intend to do, The Plaza could be a real iconic modern day development. And I agree, a similar project on the shores of AC would really be something else. A real grand hotel that emulates class and high level sophistication would really be marvelous.

Curtis Bashaw was the man behind the CRDA’s efforts to renew the boardwalk and engaged the CRDA to publish the building standards that I had posted previously. Perhaps his and Wally Barr’s anticipated resort development would incorporate some of those “throw-back” looks that a few of us have been looking for???? Stay tuned…..

[Fabrizio]

I'm sure they are also aware of how the Plaza development recalls AC's glory days. I mean look at the comparison to the Dennis!

That hotel, still standing, deserves to be exposed to the B'walk.

If Las Vegas is considered a testing ground and on the fore-front of casino development, it is interesting to note that nearly ALL new casinos there have a nostalgic, fanciful look. Perhaps they know something about what the public wants.

Are those glorified office towers planned for AC going to make a real statement?

[cysthead30]

I mean - wouldn't we be disappointed if the Plaza isn't cheezy? I mean, that's the whole point - Vegas is a guilty pleasure. Atlantic City should try to emulate t