Since even before the opening of the Borgata, there has been much talk of new developments in Atlantic City. It looks like an addition to the Trump Taj Mahal is really going to happen. From the AC Press:
The Planning Board granted preliminary approval Wednesday to a new 810-room hotel tower at Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort.
The 780,000-square-foot tower would stand 525 feet tall, counting signs and mechanical structures, or 485 feet to the top of the actual building. The octagonal floor plan includes hotel rooms on 36 of 39 floors, with 10 percent of the lodging offered as suites.
Plans said the rooms would be about 500 square feet on average, with high ceilings and floor to ceiling windows.
The $250 million tower would be located in the vicinity of the casino’s current bus lot and be attached to the existing building with a bridge connection.
With the rooftop works, the building would be almost 100 feet taller than the current tower, which at 415 feet was the city’s tallest building until the Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa opened in 2003, topping out at 479 feet.
The casino needed only a minor variation on the distance between the proposed and existing towers.
At the meeting, the casino said they planned to break ground this July, with completion in 1 1/2 to 2 years. Officials estimated the construction project would bring 550 jobs to the city, creating 200 permanent positions when it opens.
When complete, the new tower would boost the casino to 2,060 rooms.
It’s the latest approved project in a spate of development that has seen other casinos recently undertake other roughly 500-foot hotel towers.
Harrah’s Atlantic City broke ground in March on a 557-foot, 964 room tower as part of a $250 million expansion.
Across town, the under-construction $325 million tower at Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa will top out at 457 feet when it opens next year.
I think that the former Traymore site has the potential for a great idea–a 1000-foot observation tower like the Stratosphere. The site, coincidentally, is owned by Carl Icahn, who also owns the Strat.
I believe that Central Pier used to have an observation tower, so there is a history there. I don’t know if such a tall tower is possible on Absecon Island from an engineering standpoint, but it would be a great attraction.