Atlantic City saw a series of small announcements on Boardwalk development recently that seem to buoy its efforts to move away from being a casino-business-only resort.
In no particular order:
The Miss America Organization moved its national headquarters to the city’s Boardwalk Hall, where the pageant is held in September.
Though the pageant had moved its offices back to Atlantic City in 2013, officials touted the move as a coming home for the pageant. The pageant will lease about 1,800 square feet of space at the historic hall from the state Casino Reinvestment Development Authority.
“This building was already their home,” said CRDA Executive Director Chris Howard at a ceremony for the move. “Atlantic City is the birthplace of the Miss America competition. Given that history, it seems only fitting that today we’re here to welcome the Miss America Organization’s National Offices to our historic venue.”
The authority also approved a plan to turn a site adjacent to the Boardwalk, between South California and South Belmont avenues, into a beer garden. The proposal was made by Dectrinity LLC and calls for the construction of an open-air restaurant and bar called “Bungalow Biergarten,” according to the Press of Atlantic City.
The project will include seating for 322 guests, an outdoor kitchen area and two bars and is expected to open near the July 4th holiday.
The project is in the city’s tourists zone, which requires development approval from the authority.
In another announcement, the Atlantic City Seafood Festival will move to a Boardwalk site near the Showboat Hotel. The event has been held at the city’s Bader Field site for the last five years. The event will be held Sept. 9 and 10, according to a news release.
That announcement came as Showboat Atlantic City—the former casino now owned by Philadelphia developer Bart Blatstein—announced a new venture called the Atlantic City Fan Xpo.
The hotel—now a non-casino hotel—will hold a different-themed pop-culture experience every weekend from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Organizers expect to attract 100,000 visitors to the city and create $20 million in economic impact, according to the Press.
