Former Trump-Owned Atlantic City Casino Hotel Listed on the Market

The long-closed Trump Plaza’s remaining hotel and casino tower in Atlantic City, at 2201 Boardwalk, along with its rear garage across Pacific Avenue, which were built in the early 1980s, is once again up for sale.

Trump Plaza in Atlantic City Listed for Sale

The closed hotel and parking garage, spanning 10.7 acres, are being sold by IEP AC Plaza, LLC, a subsidiary of Icahn Enterprises. Commercial real estate firm Avison Young has listed the property, although no asking price has been disclosed.

Previously listed in 2023 by brokerage Binswanger, the Boardwalk site encompasses 1.87 million square feet and is zoned for “resort commercial” use. The Boardwalk-facing portion of the property once housed Rainforest Café and Nathan’s Famous restaurants. That structure is likely destined for demolition, as it is severely deteriorated and appears close to being condemned.

How Trump Invested in Atlantic City’s Hotel and Casino Scene

Trump’s investment in Trump Plaza, which opened in May 1984 at a cost of nearly $1 billion, turned out to be a major failure. The property’s luxury high-roller suites saw little use, and the casino consistently underperformed compared to its rivals. Following the 1990 launch of the Taj Mahal, Trump Plaza’s struggles only grew worse.

Donald Trump operated Trump Entertainment Resorts (TER) for 13 years, during which the company reportedly lost approximately $1.1 billion running its Atlantic City casinos. Following bankruptcy proceedings, a private equity firm took control of the organization. Trump subsequently exited the Atlantic City market but permitted the continued use of his name on the casinos in exchange for a branding fee.

In August 2014, Donald Trump filed an unsuccessful lawsuit to have his name removed from the Trump Taj Mahal, which is now the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. During their peak, Trump’s Atlantic City casinos were considered luxurious and high-end destinations.

The 2014 lawsuit claimed that, since Trump’s departure from Atlantic City years earlier, the licensing entities had allowed the casino properties to fall into severe disrepair and failed to maintain the high standards of quality and luxury required under the licensing agreement. The suit argued that the Trump name had become synonymous with top-tier quality, luxury, prestige, and success.

But the financial side of Trump’s business venture in Atlantic City isn’t the only big news that comes from the city. Earlier this summer, Trump critic Jack O’Donnell, who worked as president and COO of Trump Plaza for four years, said he saw Trump converse with Jeffrey Epstein in the hotel casino on several occasions during the late 1980s.