CRDA interim director Susan Ney Thompson joined community leaders and residents at a town meeting in Atlantic City to discuss the resort's tourism district and future.
Location: Atlantic County Auditorium, Atlantic City
Dateline: 03.24.11
Steve Young and Cornell Davis, of the Southern NJ Call to Action Coalition, conducted a town hall meeting on Thursday, March 24.
In attendance from the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority (CRDA) were the state agency's interim director Susan Ney Thompson, chief counsel Paul Weiss, esq., and CFO Val Berzins.
Boundaries of the city's planned tourism district were outlined for the crowd. It was explained that the CRDA is in charge of providing an additional level of security within the district. Additionally, the CRDA is taking over the planning and zoning duties of the district, and the function the Atlantic City Convention & Visitors Authority (ACCVA) would be within the realm of the CRDA.
Assemblyman Vince Polistina remarked that the city and state must form a cooperative movement.
Atlantic City councilman Mo Delgado said he wants our people — citizens and business owners of the resort — to be part of the process. Meanwhile, Councilman Steven Moore indicated no member of Atlantic City City Council had been invited to last week’s Governor’s Conference held right here in Atlantic City.
Now that the state of New Jersey had rolled out its own welcome mat, the governor should stop by long enough to say hello and listen.
The mood in the room during the town hall meeting was hopeful as people identified problems ranging from parking and bike racks to training opportunities for the city's youth.
Ney Thompson came to this meeting to listen. Her calm reassurance, knowledge, empathy, understanding and demeanor assured all present that we are in good hands.
Like many others, this Atlantic City resident hopes the CRDA interim director becomes permanent.
Thompson has actual concern for and knowledge of Atlantic City, and has been sitting in community meetings for months listening to the residents, a practice first started with former head Tom Carver.
Outwardly, Thompson appears as a guiding light to a bright future.
Susan, on behalf of the residents, I thank you for listening.
Read more of new acweekly.com columnist and Atlantic City resident and self-proclaimed "visionary" Geoff Rosenberger's "Geoff's Page," including local snap shots, thoughts, Atlantic City news, random musings, GLBT-related news and happenings every week — only at acweekly.com.
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ATLANTIC CITY — John Palmieri, the new head of the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority, comes to Atlantic City like no other executive director of the authority ever has. Palmieri, who was head of the Boston Redevelopment Authority from 2007 up until earlier this year, and has headed redevelopment and economic development in other cities such as Charlotte, North Carolina; Providence, Rhode Island; and Hartford, Connecticut, certainly has the qualifications and background for the job. But so have other CRDA directors. What’s different is the CRDA he’ll be heading. Never in the authority’s history has the role of the CRDA been so large. An agency created to build housing in Atlantic City and...
Washington, DC tells us the recession is over, when many of us seem to be living through a depression. We hear from politicians at all levels what they are doing for us, when many of us seem to think they are the problem. Americans want to go home again. We remember and long for a simpler time and better place… the land of the free and the home of the brave.
Further, as Atlantic City Weekly has learned earlier this week that two key associates at the CRDA who were spearheading an Arts District campaign for Mississippi Avenue in the Ducktown neighborhood of the resort, are both no longer with the CRDA,
Number 13: No more taxes. No more taxes. No more taxes. And free parking everywhere. Make our town user friendly; get rid of the sales tax, luxury taxes, and other special taxes that are on everything in Atlantic City.
The local Jewish Family Services hosted its annual Diamonds for a Cause Thursday night, March 3, in the beautiful Diamond Lounge fronting Bally’s Park Place with great views up and down the Boardwalk.
Funny thing is, it’s the casinos and land speculators who first closed and knocked down gay businesses that thrived for 100 years in Atlantic City. Now, money’s tight, and they’re sorry they did.
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