(Former) Vacant Lot Watch: Water Park Edition
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The vacant lot on the Inlet side of The Showboat consisted of a rather deep and muddy puddle, up until recently. Today, though, evidence of construction activity was very much on display.
Everything Else We’re Watching
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3301 Arctic, the red-brick former auto-service and barbershop building across from Sovereign Ave school, sold for $300,000 at the end of last year. It’s now available to rent and owned by a shell company named for the address and registered to Joseph Rodriguez of Williamstown. (Pictured)
School regionalization studies. The Department of Community Affairs is now accepting grant applications from school districts that want to consider merging with a neighboring district. The deadline to apply is the end of June.
More about: Atlantic City, Business
Cannabis Dispensary To Replace Long Vacant Pizza And Pawn Shop?
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A woman-owned and pharmacist-operated cannabis dispensary called The Healing Side has filed an application to open behind Boardwalk Hall, in a building that was last occupied, 15 years ago, by a Papa John’s and a cash-for-gold shop.
When might it open? It could still be a while. The Casino Reinvestment Development Authority is (still) in charge of planning decisions in Atlantic City’s Tourism District. A CRDA official said a hearing was conducted on March 3 and the CRDA board is expected to vote on The Healing Side’s application at its April 19 meeting.Atlantic City has a dispensary (The Botanist) open to people who have a medical marijuana card. The city has also published rules that will govern cannabis businesses (everything from cultivators to wholesalers to distributors and retailers) in Atlantic City.
More about: Atlantic City, Business
What We Are Watching
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Empty Lots Watch… Atlantic City’s newest redevelopment area is a small rectangle of land on Atlantic Avenue, between Mansion Avenue and the Vietnamese restaurant Com Ga Ninh Kieu. The city-owned property is vacant and used as parking space (see image below). According to the public notice, a conditional redeveloper (unnamed) was appointed. What’s the plan? I don’t know.
More about: Atlantic City, Government
Cryptocurrency And People Without Bank Accounts
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In Atlantic City, we live a mile from the nearest bank branch, but there’s a cryptocurrency ATM on our block.
More about: Atlantic City, Business, Atlantic City, cash, cryptocurrency, unbanked, underbanked
Aquarium Gets $1.3 Million Renovation, To Reopen In Fall🤞
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The Atlantic City Aquarium has been closed since…before the pandemic. But now—we have (some) news! The City of Atlantic City this month awarded a $1.3 million contract to Weatherby Construction for renovation work at the aquarium.The original plan was for visitors to be able to visit the aquarium this summer. But according to the renovation bid documents, the reopening date has been changed to November 1st.The Aquarium is getting a new roof, as well as having its electrical and HVAC systems replaced, new windows and floors installed, exhibit upgrades and a gift-shop revamp. These are the first major repairs at the site in more than 20 years, according to the Atlantic City Executive Council.
More about: Atlantic City, News
Grab-And-Go Gardens Pop Up In Atlantic City
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In the South Jersey suburbs, people are turning to gardening to relieve lockdown boredom and produce the fresh food that is in short supply in local stores. But what can you do in an impoverished city that is already classed as a food desert and that suffers from flooding, soil contamination and other gardening hazards?
More about: Atlantic City, COVID-19, Exploring South Jersey, Atlantic City, community garden, Coronavirus, COVID-19, farmers market
Tax Credits Brought a Lawsuit, a Bribery Allegation, an Offshore Company, Gloucester Co. Subs and Not Enough Jobs to Atlantic City
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On a recent afternoon, Friday before the Super Bowl, a group of workers at the Atlantic City Contact Center stood in a low-ceilinged office in a corner of The Claridge’s parking garage. The place smelled of onions and pasta salad.
More about: Atlantic City, Business, Watchdog Journalism, Atlantic City, George Norcross, jobs, lawsuits, New Jersey Economic Development Authority
Factbox: Tax Credit Awards in Atlantic City
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The New Jersey Economic Development Authority handed out more than $200 million in tax credits to Atlantic City developers and businesses over three years.
More about: Atlantic City, Business, Data Journalism, business incentives, New Jersey, tax credits
Going Fishing
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Leon Checinski loves to fish, and he wants others to love it too.