In the bowels of the former Trump Plaza, there are dumpsters filled with armchairs and other soft furnishings. The owner – billionaire Carl Icahn – looks to be getting rid of every last thread of his remaining Atlantic City property.
Icahn’s company has called in the asbestos removers, city official Dale Finch said on Friday. “I would assume if they are going to remove the asbestos, they’re going to demolish it,” said Finch. “But they do not have any permit yet [for demolition],” he added.
A dumpster outside Trump Plaza, filled with furnishings.
Most of the last vestiges of President Trump’s name were carefully scrubbed from Atlantic City at some point between the 2016 election and his inauguration. (A few still remain). The Trump Plaza was Icahn’s one remaining property in Atlantic City after his company sold Tropicana last month (the also shuttered Taj Mahal was sold last year and will reopen this summer as the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino).
The billionaire tycoon is seeking permission to use $5.6 million in “investment alternative” taxes paid long ago by the Plaza toward its $13.2 million demolition cost. The Casino Reinvestment Development Authority gave preliminary approval to the use of the taxes for demolition and said it would hold a public hearing on the plan. Since then, there has been no update (that we could find, and a spokeswoman for CRDA did not immediately respond to a request for comment).
Trump Plaza closed in 2014 and there have been rumors of its impending demolition ever since. Recent storms have damaged parts of the facade.