N.J. Gov. Chris Christie expressed optimism about Atlantic City’s future and the key role the Revel casino project will play in the resort’s renaissance.
ATLANTIC CITY — Addressing a sizable crowd of construction workers, political leaders, dignitaries and members of the media Friday, Aug. 12, Gov. Chris Christie expressed optimism about Atlantic City’s future and the key role the Revel casino project will play in the resort’s renaissance.
The Governor’s visit was the final day of a weeklong series of stops in New Jersey shore towns.
The Atlantic City stop was held at Revel’s Sky Garden — an outdoor configuration 114 feet above the Atlantic City Boardwalk that, when completed, will include a landscaped garden area, about a dozen private cabanas, fire pits, and several pools including one that connects indoors to an eventual three-and-a-half story nightclub.
Following Christie's speech (watch more video from his speech here; highlights above), invited guests were given a guided tour of the current status of Revel’s interior.
The entire project is expected to be completed by May 2012.
The $2.8 billion project encompasses 53 stories, 6.3 million square feet, 3,800 hotel rooms and, at over 700 feet tall, will be the second tallest building in the state (behind the Goldman Sachs Tower in Jersey City).
“I personally, and this administration, have a lot invested here, and we’re starting to see the fruits of that investment all across Atlantic City,” said Christie, who was given a private tour of the Revel interior before his speech, and continued on to visit Ocean City after his speech.
“Make no mistake about it, Atlantic City is extraordinarily important not just to this region’s future but to our state’s future, and we are going to make the type of investment both in terms of dollars and in terms of our manpower and support to make sure we bring this city to a new renaissance.”
Revel will provide roughly 5,500 permanent jobs when completed. It will include about 150,000 square feet of casino gaming area, and an additional 160,000 square feet of meetings and conference rooms.
“This is about jobs, it’s about getting people back to work, it’s about bringing this city back into where it feels, once again, like the preeminent entertainment resort on the East Coast,” said Christie. “I think we’re going to get there and this project, Revel, is going to help us get there.
Above right — Gov. Chris Christie hears concerns from a Revel construction worker following his speech at the site Friday, Aug. 12.
Click here for a sneak peek photo tour of the Revel casino project.
“Thousands of jobs are being created not only by the men and women you see around me who are building this place, but there will be thousands more after they’re done for the people who will work and staff the visitors and friends who will come and visit Revel and vacation here in Atlantic City. Hopefully they’ll go back to wherever they’re from and tell others how well Atlantic City is doing, and why their families and friends should come here as well.
“All the things we said we were committed to when I came here over a year ago and stood on the Boardwalk and said we were going bring a new era to Atlantic City, we’re still committed to today and we’re making it happen,” added Christie. “I think this hotel and casino is going to be the next step in the rebuilding and rebirth of this city. I look forward to all of you being a part of it when it opens, and you can bank on the fact that I’ll be here too.”
Watch more of Gov. Christie's speech:
"It was a little bit of a culture shock coming from Las Vegas, as you can imagine. But then when I actually spent some time [in Atlantic City] and spent some time in competitors' casinos, I was pleasantly surprised and I feel that, you know, being involved in Revel is a very exciting piece of history for Atlantic City and I think will change how people look and perceive the market."
"There are those that don’t believe the Atlantic City fathers are capable of handling this business. And again, that speaks to a level of arrogance and it also speaks to an underlying air of racism — point blank, as I’ve pointed out."
Kevin DeSanctis, Revel CEO: "Clearly we want to go after the type of artist that can draw 5,500 people, and when you get into that genre, if you will, there’s probably only about 20 acts that can do that."
The firm's CEO, Neil Moffit, recently told the 'NY Post' that "this casino could easily be in the upper echelons of Vegas."
Gov. Chris Christie signed legislation today to create an Atlantic City Tourism District and announced a breakthrough in the Revel Casino project.
The day after New Jersey Governor Chris Christie sent staffers to visit Atlantic City Mayor Langford, the mayor says he doesn't feel much different about the concerns he raised last week and that the ball is in the governor's court now.
"I get offended when the governor and others advocate that we need an increased police presence on the Boardwalk to create the ‘perception’ that the city is safe, because the reality is that the Boardwalk is safe. But even to address just the ‘perception’ [of the city’s tourists] they advocate more resources. What about the neighborhoods?"
Should Atlantic City try to position itself as a Jersey-shore style family resort, which just happens to have a very adult–oriented casino industry, or should it try to focus on the adult market?
On a sizzling hot Boardwalk Wednesday Governor Chris Christie did his best to say that the state was looking to help Atlantic City, not take over. “I’m here to extend the hand of partnership to the city,” Christie said. "We are entering into this public private partnership because we have to remake ourselves. We want to make Atlantic City a place where families and businesses want to be and want to come back to again and again.”
Revel Casino stays ahead of the curve when it comes to keeping those who want to remain “in the know” informed of its progress in Atlantic City.
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