October 03. 2011 12:00PM
Atlantic City Cruises President Jeff George said he saw one sign of immediate improvement from state-initiated reforms intended to improve the city's economy: his neighborhood became cleaner.
After the Atlantic City Special Improvement District merged with the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority, trash was picked up and the appearance of Historic Gardner's Basin, where George's business is based, improved.
"Right away, I noticed it being more attractive and being better maintained," he said.
It's been eight months since Gov. Chris Christie signed the broadest reforms to how Atlantic City operates in recent history, cutting regulations and creating a new tourism district, and business owners said they're beginning to see benefits from the changes.
While casino revenues continue to plunge — August revenue was down 19.8 percent from the year-ago period — business owners said there have been improvements in other areas, like concerts, and some are concentrating on nongaming businesses, saying entertainment and family fare offer growth potential.
George said the next step he will look for is improvements to the signs that direct visitors to Gardner's Basin, which is nearly a mile from the boardwalk. From there, he runs cruises into the ocean, which provide views of the city skyline and encounters with dolphins, and the bay.
"We had a positive season, as far as the number of guests that we drew," George said of his cruise business, adding that he hasn't closed the books on the season, which was disrupted by Hurricane Irene.
Debra P. DiLorenzo, president and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce Southern New Jersey, said there has seen steady progress since Christie signed the reforms. DiLorenzo, a CRDA board member, is pleased with new authority head John Palmieri, who comes to the city from Boston.
"That was a very important step in the actual reform and redevelopment in Atlantic City," DiLorenzo said. She also is encouraged by the planning for Revel, the long-delayed casino now slated to open in May.
The next major step is for a master plan for the tourism district. A request for proposals for the plan has been issued.
"It's important that the right firm is selected and gets the right guidance," DiLorenzo said.
John Battista, who owns Carisbrooke Inn, in Ventnor, said his bed and breakfast is dependent on Atlantic City thriving. He is closely following the reforms and is particularly interested in the state supporting nongaming entertainment.
"My impression is that they're trying to focus on broadening what AC is beyond just gaming — and from my perspective, that is very positive," Battista said. A successful Dave Matthews Band concert in late June, for instance, led to his inn being booked weeks ahead of time.
Both George and Battista are interested in a new state law allowing smaller casinos, saying it could drive capital investment and additional visitors to the city. AC Gateway LLC plans to have Hard Rock International operate the first "boutique" casino.
"It's odd that you can only have a casino if you're an extremely large property," Battista said, as smaller casinos could offer lower-priced entertainment.
New Steel Pier President Anthony Catanoso said he views the reforms as a positive, adding that they are well-timed from the perspective of his ownership group, which just bought the pier.
While Catanoso said the city hasn't had a cohesive marketing plan until this point, the state has brought a new focus to making the city successful. Catanoso also said that the state understands the importance of having "more of a rounded base of attraction, emphasizing the beach and boardwalk." He is working to organize more than 30 "family attractions" for a joint promotion effort.
Catanoso said his own business had a down summer. "The weather hurt and Irene was the nail in the coffin, but I'm not discouraged because we had more families," he said.
Catanoso said that while the monthly casino revenue reports have been negative, they are missing positive signs.
"It's taking a hit from the Pennsylvania competition that's coming in and the New York competition, but you have to look at the other end of the spectrum," he said. "I think with the changes that we're making, you're going to see things pick up at the family end of things."
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