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ATLANTIC CITY — Casino executives, government leaders and other key officials say they will have one thing in mind when they gather for a Nov. 24 summit in the mayor’s office: How do we rescue Atlantic City’s economy?

Already, some central themes are emerging: Derelict buildings must be demolished to make the city more attractive. Tourists must feel safer while walking the streets. All levels of government must cooperate with each other, officials say.

“We have to make Atlantic City a resort destination,” said Thomas D. All three gubernatorial candidates say money is needed for Atlantic City tourism.  Carver, executive director of the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority, the state agency that uses gaming revenue to revitalize the city. “The time is long past when we could strictly depend on the beaches and Boardwalk to draw tourists. We can’t compete anymore on that basis alone.”

Mayor Lorenzo Langford has called the summit at City Hall in response to a warning from casino CEO Kevin DeSanctis that the city’s future looks bleak unless a plan is developed for saving it.

“All I know is that we don’t have a plan, and any plan is better than no plan,” DeSanctis, chairman and chief executive of the $2 billion Revel Entertainment Group casino, told the Atlantic City Hospitality Trade Show on Oct. 22.

DeSanctis’ call for change rattled the city. Arguing that the casino industry and the local community have never really accepted each other, DeSanctis stressed the need for more cooperation.

Don Marrandino, president of the four Atlantic City casinos owned by Harrah’s Entertainment Inc., said DeSanctis’ statements already have prompted action.

“The good news is, everybody is talking things out,” Marrandino said. “With all the competition looming down on us, we have to start talking about things we agree on. We can all agree on clean, safe and customer service.”

A citywide discussion

Langford characterized the summit as the first step toward trying to fix the city’s problems. Atlantic City has been suffering amid a three-year revenue slump in the gaming industry caused by the recession and competition from surrounding casino states.

“We need to recognize that our fates are inextricably tied together,” the mayor said.

However, Langford maintained it was premature for him to begin publicly outlining what has to be done to improve the city before he holds the summit.

“That’s why we’re doing this,” he said. “We need to determine what those elements are.”

Langford did say that members of the city’s neighborhoods must have a place at the table. He is expected to invite the heads of each city civic organization.

Langford said he hopes to incorporate other voices in the discussion after his first meeting.

State Sen. James Whelan, an Atlantic County Democrat and former Atlantic City mayor, called the summit a good starting point, but cautioned that he has seen many improvement plans over the years fail.

“I’m not a big advocate, frankly, of plans, per se. I’ve seen a zillion pretty pictures of things that have not been built in Atlantic City,” he said.

Whelan said he would prefer to deal in broad outlines — working collectively with property owners and developers — rather than an imposed plan.

He said the city’s previous plans reminded him of a cartoon he saw once. Moses was coming down Mount Sinai with the Ten Commandments. Moses looked heavenward and asked, “Where’s the funding?”

“But until someone has funding, or a private developer is willing to come in and spend the money necessary, that’s all it is, a pretty picture,” Whelan said.

“For a plan to be successful, it has to have the ability to attract private capital, and part of that ability has to be a better visual sense of the city, which in turn leads to a more secure feeling for both visitors and residents,” he added.

Agencies say they’re ready

Carver emphasized that blight must be cleared out to improve the city’s image. He said the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority could begin a demolition program “tomorrow” if the city begins targeting abandoned buildings that foster crime.

“Residents and visitors have to believe it’s a safe city to be in,” Carver said. “There’s always been a perception, ‘I’m not coming here. It’s not safe.’”

Carver said any beautification program must extend to gritty areas of Atlantic Avenue. He wants to see casino development spread across Pacific Avenue to Atlantic. He also mentioned the possibility of having the city’s popular shopping and entertainment district, known as The Walk, expand into parts of Atlantic Avenue to attract more tourists.

Linda M. Kassekert, chair of the New Jersey Casino Control Commission, pledged additional help for Atlantic City through regulatory reform. She noted the commission continues to ease some of the regulatory requirements at the request of the casino industry.

“We’ve done it all along,” Kassekert said. “We haven’t stopped rewriting our regulations. We sit down with the casinos and their wish list and make a lot of changes as a result of that.”

One priority is cleaning up run-down areas in the South Inlet section surrounding the Revel casino. Now under construction, Revel is scheduled to open in 2011. Even before the summit, the city has begun planning to help Revel obtain money to improve the area.

An early step

Earlier this month, the city took the first of many steps to infuse $150 million in infrastructure and construction improvements in the resort’s forgotten Inlet section. The funding would come from state bonds paid for incrementally over several years through projected local property tax revenue from Revel. The bond, if issued, would reconstruct some of the most dilapidated sections of the Boardwalk, renovate Garden Pier and finally fund a citywide program for surveillance cameras to aid investigations.

Whelan said the potential funding for Revel is “important to the potential lenders and investors in Atlantic City to see that the city and the state are prepared to step up and assist private investment, despite what they may have heard.”

Whelan also cited casino deregulation legislation passed earlier this year with his sponsorship, saying he hoped to revisit and expand on the bill with Gov.-elect Chris Christie.

Christie’s spokeswoman Maria Comella declined to comment about the summit. During the campaign, Christie described his own plans for helping Atlantic City.

Christie opposes placing slot machine-like video lottery terminals at New Jersey’s horseracing tracks. Atlantic City officials fear the spread of casino-style gambling in other parts of the state, saying it would create even more competition.

Christie also has called for redirecting all Casino Reinvestment Development Authority funding to Atlantic City because of lower revenues and the need to protect public and private investments.

Contact Donald Wittkowski:

609-272-7258

DWittkowski@pressofac.com

Contact Derek Harper:

609-292-4935

DHarper@pressofac.com

Contact Michael Clark:

609-272-7204

Michael.Clark@pressofac.com

17 comments:

• weisenthal (293) posts 11:20 pm

  Read we love ac's post below--it says it all. Sad, but the basis of all summits and planning's failure is that Langford, unfortunately, stole that last election, and is again the mayor! Ghetto thug, section 8, never-worked-in-life trash is his constituancy. Rather than tear down all the roach motel projects, the bases of the criminal lifestyle afficianidos,he wants to build more. Where? IN BADER FIELD. He actually said this. The scumbags of the city are his bread and butter: a part of how he steals your money. He panders to them, with a reputation that he robbed "the man" and got away with it, and they didn't care that they were electing a thief, and possibly mentally unstable idiot, who no businessman on this side of the globe would dream of doing business with, except maybe for his buddies he has been paying out for all the legal "work". What a beautiful scam that is. They pay him a couple thousand dollars for political donations, and reap millions for needless lawyer "work". Meanwhile, the drooling council, when not in court for one thing or another, manage to continue to do nothing but suck up taxpayer dollars for pretending to go through with the required functions, while plotting how to extract more money out of it for themselves, while the city continues to fill up with trash and dead bodies (any arrests yet? No?), and caves in around their empty heads. It's a jolly old party in Atlantic City right now. It's in big trouble, with a capitol L. Inditement of the criminal mayor and council, and state takeover of the city is it's only hope now. Who are the casino owners kidding? They know what the problem is.

• Mr_609 (43) posts 10:40 am

  What! Are we all talking about the same city! I am also an ACHS grad! Born and raised in AC! The problem is those in the article! People not from here deciding what to do with our town! They have to make the streets safer for "tourist". What about the tax-paying residents who are scared to catch public transportation at night? Who's children have been killed in these streets with no one brought to justice? The Walk isn't even safe at night quiet as kept! I remember when it was fun to walk down Atlantic Ave. Now it stanks, all of the stores are the same, and I swear all of the owners are related and don't live here! Let these out of towners decide the future of OUR town, and soon it will be THEIR town! Get out and Vote, or just GET OUT! Wake Up AC!

• Barry McSame (136) posts 8:17 pm

  ".....Perkins cautioned that Bally’s has a lot of casino capacity — perhaps too much in an industry hurt by the weak economy and tighter spending by its customers. He suggested that Bally’s may have to close the Wild Wild West or use it only on a seasonal basis. “If anything, the space could be shut down permanently, as they have done with much of the casino space in the Claridge,” Perkins said. “It’s really an unnecessary casino space at this time.”... ---- there's your SUPERMARKET space, Langford & Whelan!! Deus ex machina! Jump on it!

• arvegas (4) posts 4:56 pm

  Hey, B4real, I clearly stated what has changed for the better you can't deny the great capital improvements. You make a great point that I did not mention about the political corruption for years has kept AC from prospering. There are many more things like the filth that is unbearable on Atlantic Ave Pacific Ave the bums, beggars homeless problem , rundown housing, I could go on for ever but all in all it still looks a bit better than 1980.

• Barry McSame (136) posts 2:40 pm

  people who fret so much about Xway & GSP tolls and parking garage fees DO NOT belong in a casino to start with. Too few $$$ to begin with. Try the bingo game at church or at your volunteer fire dept. garage.

• B4real (371) posts 2:15 pm

  Arvegas, I must be blind as a bat because other than the fake looking generic anywhere USA looking 'Walk', what has turned around in A.C.? The schools suck, Ducktown and Chelsea have declined, there are massive vacant trash shrewn empty lots all over the city, there are tons of bums, ghetto thugs and illegal immigrants infesting the city, rampant crime, a derelict Atlantic Avenue, a corrupt, incompetant city hall, rising property taxes, etc... etc... So what is better???

• Barry McSame (136) posts 1:51 pm

  "When I told them that I was from AC they all put there head down and felt sorry form me. How do you think I felt?" -- I moved my family out of that sinkhole in 1985. I quit my no-show job in DPW under The Zipper and moved to NY area. Matthews & Crew had crashed & burned. Then a Fortune 25 company hired me in Calif. In all those years, even in NYC, I NEVER said I "was from Atlantic City." It was always: Margate, or the Shore, or the Jersey Shore, or just New Jersey, "near Princeton"(!). Only water-boarding could get me to say "Atlantic City," my co-workers and neighbors would've sneered (the accent is a giveaway, they know you're from NY or NJ.) Once when I came out of anesthesia, with my wrists tied to the bed since my 18" surgery wound was left open to "cure," I said to my wife, "Where the heck are we? Are we in f-ing Atlantic City?", tho we were 3000 miles away. My subconscious fears had bubbled up, loosed by the anesthesia. She still laughs about it. She's from Pennsylvania, and understands. After another surgery I said to the nurse, "my sister is a nurse in Atlantic City hospital." she said, "That's nice." I said, "Do you go down there often?" She looked at me funny. "Do you know where you are"? I said, "yes, Temple University hospital" (I was a TU grad student 20 yrs. earlier.) "No, you're in California." It was the anesthesia again, but since I thought I was in Philly, I felt free to mention "Atlantic City" to her. Otherwise, mum's the word.

• arvegas (4) posts 11:40 am

  Being born and raised in AC, graduated ACHS in 1984 the city has turned around greatly!!! Anyone who disagrees with that is blind as a bat. Now that that is said, AC is in the fight of its life right now! After going on a cruise to Alaska I met several people from all over the US. When I told them that I was from AC they all put there head down and felt sorry form me. How do you think I felt? I am the expert on AC. Ok Pinky is. Anyway, if AC is to turn around anytime soon all the powers that be, must get there heads out of the sand and come up with a real plan with a real timeline to reinvent AC. It will take time and money but can anyone agree to just do it? I think they all know it it is with hope that AC can turn around. AC does not need another 60 Minutes expose on the blight of AC or HBO special on the $10 hookers walking pacific ave turning tricks for tourists. The good must be underlined: The Pier, The Walk, The Borgata, The Bus Terminal, The Convention Center, The newer facades on some boardwalk storefronts, The Revel, I hope they finish and fast! I do not care if the rest of the capital financing is done thru overseas we need that casino finished! Fix the boardwalk ASAP! Lower the sand dunes ASAP is there an ocean? I am not sure, there used to be. Get rid of all parking fees in the casino parking garages tomorrow! Tell casinos to work on the valet side on weekends to get rid of $20 and $30 parking fees! Really!! How bad do you think the customer feels when they get in there car from Philly and pay several tolls and pull up to said casino off the expressway and pay $30 on SAT night? Nothing like that sinking feeling that a whole is in your pocket before you even walk in! I can go on but I hope those that read this can say ok enough is enough like our past election results. I hope more people can speak there mind on AC because it can be so much more!!

• BernieSchwartz (645) posts 10:19 am

  The CRDA is paying $25,000,000 to build a parking garage! Fix the boardwalk with this monay. Do something, anything!

• loveall (50) posts 9:18 am

  I hear no talk about the residents of our city that have been getting screwed without the grease for years and years...........Langford...Take care of our people first and foremost. Forget the tourists for now !! They have been the focus since the casinos have come to our city. Our city was a wonderfull place before the casinos and it has went down ever since. Please Rennie...The residents need you !!!!!

• WHISTLEBLOWER (68) posts 9:17 am

  IT SOUNDS SIMPLE TO DEMOLISH THESE BUILDINGS BUT THE CORRUPT CITY INSPECTORS ARE THE ONES WHO TAKE BRIBES FROM SLUMLORDS TO ALLOW THESE PROPERTIES TO STAND, IF YOU GET RID OF ALL THE HOUSING INSPECTORS AS THEY DID IN 1992 FOR THE SAME CORRUPTION YOU MAY HAVE A CHANCE!!!!!!!!!!

• beachone (79) posts 5:13 am

  After reading the previous posts what can be added that wasnt said already. We all know from prior years what AC needed and it wasnt brain surgery. We dont live close enough to AC to see everything but we do travel the 7 hours to the city to see most of the problems. I will say we have been lucky for the times we stayed and that goes back as far as 1984. The panhandling problem and crime are the two things that stand out the most with us, these two things need to be addressed first. Some of the other things are: cleaner cabs and jitneys, mandate better operations for the non casino hotel/motel properties. Some of these places dont care about thier properties, poor room conditions, poor customer service and to be honest more dangerous than any casino property. Besides all of the things that has been mentioned I think AC needs to find itself. Do you want to be a family gambling destination, a family resort destination or a preferred adult destination. I find it hard that people would stay at any casino property except for maybe the Trop that has kids under 21. I know my boys (both under 21) do not like AC for the simple fact that there is nothing for them to do other than watch a movie. And if anyone has younger kids what are they limited too, the beach. I did not add the Steel Pier because all that place is nothing more than a hangout for the local yocals. So the decision is turn AC into a Wildwood style casino resort or a resort for adults with their targeted entertainment. b1

• Barry McSame (136) posts 4:26 am

  CYA & baby-stepping with the CCC: “We’ve done it all along,” Kassekert said. “We haven’t stopped rewriting our regulations. We sit down with the casinos and their wish list and make a lot of changes as a result of that.” -- a day late and a dollar short. pathetic, really. all the years obsessing over "the mob" while the "other mob," the one in Chitty Hall, partied hearty. And while U S ATTORNEY CHRISTIE convicted 210 Jersey hacks and developers and fixers right under the CCC's and DGE's and NJSP's nose. hmmmmm. Nice work, fellas - FOR ME TO POOP ON! Uriah Heep + Kunta Kinte = Lord Langford. Judge the tree by its fruits - Langford's are all lemons. All the casino execs and the local Babbitts can do is PLEAD FOR LANGFORD & CREW TO STOP THE INCOMPETENCE and SPENDING. Nothing more. Imploring, importuning, inveighing, persuading.... nothing more. After the pro forma "summit," the casino chiefs should caravan right to Christie's office and petition for a state takeover. Have a Tea Party, fellas. It's Hobson's Choice for A.C. in 2010, and you've got nothing to lose by ratcheting up the pressure.

• RandomX856 (158) posts 2:04 am

  I think the FIRST step for fixing Atlantic City should be the Boardwalk. It's a dump. (1) Require that all unused Billboards at least have a clean, fresh coat of paint to cover the blight (2) Get rid of 75% of the cheap souveneir stores, tarot card readers, and massage parlors...which are currently the only businesses found on the Boardwalk except for a few eating places. FIND A WAY to get national named stores to replace them. (3) Lower the dunes (4) Provide entertainment on the Boardwalk (5) Get rid of the zillions of panhandlers (6) Put more police and security on the Boardwalk

• jmanfrompa (38) posts 12:35 am

  Ditto "WeLoveAC"...he/she hit it on the head! But is it too little too late to get those customers back?

• WeLoveAC (19) posts 12:02 am

  CASINO OWNERS AND MANAGERS....Why don't you just ask your customers and EX customers what you could do to want us to come to Atlantic city more often???! I'll be the first........... 1. Better slot payouts. 2. Employees be more professional and kind, treat us like we are important. (because without us.. you will have nothing) 3. Better Entertainment. (for ALL age groups) 4. Better security, especially on the Boardwalk. 5. Better selection of Late Night food. (Don't close everything but a sandwich shop after 10PM) 7. Stop the Panhandlers from begging, especially in the Casinos. 8. Forget about all your High End retail shops. (Everyone shopped at Ocean One!) 9. Of course... clean up and or tear down the eyesores in the city. 10. Take better care of Medium Rollers.(high rollers don't keep Casinos in business!)

• hungrydriver (5) posts 11:37 pm

  First and foremost, I think we have reached the point were we can no longer charge to park the car. This is the only casino town in the world I know of that charges to park. That god Corzine lost, could you imagine what $5 tolls on the parkway would do for AC?

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