One of Atlantic City’s newest attraction—the planned Playground entertainment complex—will have a touch of old Vegas.
Philadelphia developer Bart Blatstein is currently turning the former Shops at Caesars mall in Atlantic City into an entertainment and dining venue. He is partnered in the project with casino architect Paul Steelman.
When the Riviera Hotel and Casino closed on the Las Vegas strip in May, Steelman and his team at Steelman Partners went into the casino and gathered up five tractor trailers full of memorabilia and history from the casino.
That includes stage equipment, lighting, chairs, tables, dishes, and even the Riviera sign, which have now been driven across the country to a warehouse in Egg Harbor Township near Atlantic City, according to reports.
The pieces will get new life at the Playground, scheduled to open June 26.
“Atlantic City needs something else besides gambling,” Blatstein said. “T Street is that something else. This is a city that developed on the basis of entertainment. It’s lost that entertainment feel, the 500 Club, Sinatra singing all night long. We need to get back to that and incorporating iconic items from a place where entertainment was key for more 60 years just helps add to that vibe.”
“From a design standpoint, classic, retro Vegas is just beautiful and symbolic,” said Steelman, “The Riviera’s day may be over on the strip, but pieces from there will live on forever in Atlantic City. It gives me great pride to be able to repurpose these amazing pieces.”
