Beach Erosion Continues to Affect Atlantic City’s Casinos

Besides luxury casino resorts, Atlantic City is renowned for its iconic Boardwalk and beautiful beaches. However, every winter, the seaside resort city’s beaches erode and are washed away into the sea. This is quite visible within Atlantic City’s northern side where storms during the winter in combination with waves destroy the beaches year after year. As a result, multiple seaside casinos are impacted with the list including Hard Rock, Resorts and Ocean Casino Resort.

Considering the negative impact of nature, the city is eligible for federal funding and operators are urging for swift action before the summer season. Back in 2020, the beach line in Atlantic City was repaired with the allocation of additional sand through a federal project. But considering that this was a temporary fix, the seaside casino resort city expected to receive more sand last summer.

Instead, legislative hurdles delayed the project which is now planned to be completed this year. With an estimated $30 million cost, so far $25 million has been approved as federal funding. However, as announced by the Associated Press, the project may start “sometime this summer or in the fall,” according to Stephen Rochette, a spokesperson for the agency that is in charge of such initiatives, US Army Corps of Engineers.

Reportedly, contractors who are interested in completing the project will have a chance to apply between April and May. Rochette confirmed that the swift erosion of Atlantic City is identified as an issue, and the agency may consider if an engineering solution can fix the reoccurring problem.

Operators Call For an Urgent Fix

Despite the planned beach fix, industry stakeholders are concerned about the timeline for the completion of the project. Mark Giannantonio, Resorts’ president, supported the idea for the delivery of sand before the summer season.

Calling it a “beach-lite” option, he explained that fixing parts of the beaches before the summer would be of vital importance for businesses. “Everyone realizes the importance of getting this sand. The sense of urgency is real,” said Giannantonio.

Bill Callahan, Ocean Casino Resort’s general manager, was just as concerned. He questioned how anyone can “run a beach resort without a beach.” Moreover, Callahan added: “It’s a tough pill to swallow.”

Last month, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy confirmed that municipalities will benefit from $100 million. This strategic funding is expected to help municipalities restore their boardwalks. From the aforementioned sum, Atlantic City will benefit from a $20 million grant. Currently, the city is known to have the oldest Boardwalk in the country, spanning a whopping 5.5 miles. The Boardwalk in the coastal resort city is also among the largest in the world as well.