Philadelphia developer Bart Blatstein, CEO of Tower Investments and developer of The Playground, the dining and entertainment mecca currently under construction at the former Pier at Caesars in Atlantic City, invited reporters last week to view the progress of the new attraction, slated to open July 4.
Blatstein also announced new alliances in entertainment, dining and retail attractions planned for The Playground.
Central to Blatstein’s redevelopment plan for the site is to have live music at all seven of the venues that will make up T Street (T for Tower), which will be located on the first floor of the pier facility. T Street will be reminiscent of music row in Nashville, Beale Street in Memphis, and 6th Street in Austin, and will celebrate diversity in entertainment.
Philadelphia-based Bonfire Entertainment will help bring in acts in virtually every music and entertainment genre to the new attraction, Blatstein announced. Run by Bryan Dilworth, Bonfire owns, operates and books several clubs including The Electric Factory, Underground Arts, and MilkBoy Philadelphia, and books and promotes more than 1,000 concerts a years in the greater Philadelphia area, making it one of the largest independent promoters in the Mid-Atlantic region.
Blatstein announced that Garces Events, the full-service talented events group known for delivering the cuisine for Chef Jose Garces’ restaurants, will be supporting the Atlantic City venue. Garces, winner of the second season of the Food Network’s The Next Iron Chef, will provide signature food and beverage menus for all of the venues along T Street.
Each themed venue will be represented as separate and distinct with dining and drink options crafted by Garces Events.
“When Tower Investments is involved in a project, it’s top notch all the way,” said Blatstein. “That’s evident with the alliances we announced today with Bonfire Entertainment and Garces Events, both stars in their industries.”
T Street is a component of the first phase of redevelopment for The Playground. The water fountains, formerly located in the rear of the first floor, have been removed and construction is under way on 39 N (a reference to its location on the 39th Parallel), which will feature a state-of-the-art stage, lighting and sound. The space will accommodate larger national and regional touring acts with a space capable of handling 2,000-plus guests.
Also slated for the July 4th weekend opening is Monkey Bar, the centrally located, high-tech bar will feature beautiful ocean views on either side.
“Exactly 60 days ago I stood here at a press conference and announced the first phase of The Playground would be open by July 4th weekend,” Blatstein remarked. “It’s an extremely tight schedule, but you can see by the transformational progress today that this is what Tower Investments does. We keep promises and get things done.
“We are incredibly excited about opening T Street to the public on the weekend that we celebrate our nation’s birth. This city is going through its own rebirth, and Tower’s redesign of The Pier is only the beginning of our involvement in Atlantic City’s renaissance.”
