Hard Rock’s Atlantic City Property Will Open To The Public In May 2018

Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City will open on Memorial Day 2018 after undergoing extensive renovation and expansion. For those outside of the U.S, Memorial Day falls on May 29 every year.

The troubled Trump Taj Mahal Casino had been purchased by a group of investors led by Hard Rock International for $50 million earlier this year, after the former owner Carl Icahn shut it down due to union problems. The casino operator intends to replace Trump Taj Mahal’s characteristic features patterned on Indian palaces including its iconic minarets and replace it with its signature rock and roll theme.

Joe Emanuele senior vice president of design and construction for Hard Rock International stated at a Casino Reinvestment Development Authority (CRDA) board meeting that demolition is likely begin by July while construction will be started by August 2017. City officials as well as the regulator have welcomed the plan.

NJTV News

In a statement Robert Mulcahy CRDA Board Chairman said

The planned renovations will transform the 4.2 million square feet of defunct casino hotel space into a state-of- the-art casino, hotel, retail, dining and entertainment facility, increasing employment opportunities and strengthening Atlantic City and New Jersey’s economies. We look forward to seeing this project come to fruition.

Mulcahy noted that this project was exciting and would bring relief to the city. Atlantic City’s casino industry is experiencing a recent revival after struggling with poor growth for over a decade, which also negatively impacted the city’s finances as well.

Hard Rock International has applied to the regulatory agency for developing an entertainment retail district in the vicinity of the property. This strategy will allow the company to avail a rebate on sales and also to use taxes on construction materials as well as its luxury room tax for developments around the property.

Emanuele stated that surrounding properties would also benefit from the overall facelift that Hard Rock would be carrying out of the former Trump Taj Mahal. Hard Rock along with fellow investors Joe Jingoli and Jack Morris have promised to invest $500 in re-inventing and upgrading the casino property.The new Hard Rock project is expected to create around 3,000 permanent jobs along with 1,000 construction jobs.

A range of new features including fantasy sports betting, poolside and restaurant gambling, exclusive VIP gambling areas and skill-based slot games are being planned. Jingoli observed that the team was ready to go after having worked very hard for several months now. He thanked the various government departments for having cooperated with them during the process.