Official: Trump Plaza to be demolished, likely in early ’18

Atlantic City’s Trump Plaza could be an open lot by the spring.

“I’ve been advised they’re going to implode the building,” said Dale Finch, the city’s director of licensing and inspection.

The casino has been closed for more than three years.

Finch said there has been no timeframe given yet, but expects it could be done by February or early March.

“They want to get it down, and we want to get it down,” Finch said.

“I think it’s a great property that ultimately could get turned into another great venue,” said Kenneth Calemmo, co-chair of the Economic Development Committee of the Greater Atlantic City Chamber.

He said he has not heard of any plans, but that the spot is a perfect one to get attention.

Sitting at the base of the Atlantic City Expressway, “It’s got exposure to 29 million people with eyeballs every single year.”

The property still is zoned for a casino, but Calemmo said razing the current facility would likely make it more attractive.

“I think the casino portion of that main facility is very dated,” he said. “It needs to have new life breathed into it somehow. It needs a major facelift.”

The building is in the process of being cleared out, and then asbestos must be removed, Finch said.

The razing process would include various inspections, along with notifying neighboring building owners and likely cordoning off a section of the city’s famous Boardwalk.

“It’s a pretty big project,” Finch said.

The city wants to make sure everything is done before spring, so that it doesn’t hinder the incoming tourist season, he added.

No paperwork has been filed with the city at this time.