Demolition of Trump Plaza casino on hold

ATLANTIC CITY — The vacant Trump Plaza will remain standing through the summer, despite previous comments from resort officials that the 34-year-old casino hotel would be demolished this spring.
In November, former Mayor Don Guardian said the building was set to be imploded this spring. But no demolition permit has been filed by the owner of the building, Icahn Enterprises, or its subsidiary, Trump Entertainment Resorts Inc., according to Dale Finch, the city’s director of licensing and inspection. Finch said crews have been removing asbestos for a few weeks from the shuttered Trump Plaza, which closed in September 2014. As for plans to have the 39-story building demolished this spring, Finch said that window is now closed with the start of the tourism season. “It’s not going to be done during the summertime since portions of the Boardwalk would have to be closed,” he said. “Maybe (demolition) will happen in late fall.” Finch said the Plaza’s ownership group, led by billionaire investor Carl Icahn, has been getting price quotes for demolition but nothing has been filed with the city yet. Previous reports in The Press put the cost to demolish Trump Plaza at about $13.5 million.
Experts have said demolishing the vacant property, located in the middle of the Boardwalk and at the base of the Atlantic City Expressway, is critical to future development in the city.
Trump Plaza is one of three Atlantic City casino properties formerly owned by President Donald Trump’s entertainment venture, the other two being the former Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort, due to reopen June 28 as Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City, and the former Trump Marina, now operating as Golden Nugget Atlantic City. The president has not had a formal role in Trump Entertainment, which declared bankruptcy three times, since at least 2011.
DAVID DANZIS Staff Writer