Business Buzz
For years, local officials and business leaders have discussed Atlantic County’s need for additional housing. Developers are now responding with projects that could add hundreds of single-family homes, townhomes and apartments in Egg Harbor Township and Atlantic City.
Projects ranging from large planned communities to smaller infill developments are under construction, approved or moving through the development process.
Egg Harbor Township continues to experience significant residential development. Touch of Modern Inc., the developer associated with Ridgewood Point, received approvals in 2025 for a 20-lot single-family subdivision on approximately 14.5 acres at 34 and 70 Chelsea Ave. The proposed custom homes would add another residential development near schools, shopping and major highways.
The largest project is D.R. Horton’s 657-home Ocean Club community off Westcoat Road. The development is divided into three neighborhoods targeting different segments of the housing market.
Winds at Ocean Club consists of 259 traditional single-family homes. Plans include a 7,500-square-foot clubhouse, outdoor swimming pool, basketball and tennis courts, playgrounds and walking trails.
The Coves at Ocean Club will contain 258 ranch-style homes for residents 55 and older. Current prices range from approximately $369,000 to $526,990, with 76 homes reported sold.
The Freeport and Neuville models include patios, while the Bristol and Clifton models offer covered porches. Homes range from approximately 1,500 to 2,500 square feet.
Plans for the Coves include a 3,500-square-foot clubhouse, swimming pool, pickleball courts, gazebo and walking and biking trails.
Tides at Ocean Club features 140 two-story townhomes, with 134 reported sold. The approximately 1,500-square-foot homes offer three bedrooms, 2½ bathrooms and one-car garages. Community amenities include a clubhouse, swimming pool, basketball court, playgrounds and trails.
Sales have been brisk, according to Patty Djokovich, the community’s on-site new-home specialist.
Another major Egg Harbor Township development is Patcong Farms, near Patcong and Blackman roads. The project will consist of 60 single-family homes on more than 56 acres, including seven open-space lots.
D.R. Horton is marketing Patcong Farms as a luxury single-family community along Patcong Creek. Plans include ranch and two-story homes on larger homesites. The development is also located near major highways and within driving distance of Atlantic City and Ocean City.
Across the bay, Atlantic City is also seeing significant residential investment as developers pursue projects in several sections of the city.
Kushner Companies’ Caspian Point project is expected to bring 180 market-rate rental apartments to the city.
K. Hovnanian has received approval for 152 for-sale townhomes in the South Inlet. The company is also beginning development of the Terraces at Absecon Inlet, a project consisting of 38 waterfront townhomes near New Hampshire and Pacific avenues. A ceremonial groundbreaking is scheduled for Aug. 12.
Nearby, developer Keith Groff has started Phase II of Lighthouse Row after Phase I delivered eight market-rate townhomes near the Absecon Lighthouse. The project represented the first new residential construction on the site in approximately two decades.
Development is also underway in the Orange Loop, where former Villanova basketball player Brian Zoubek’s Zoubek Properties has completed the first 10 townhomes at the Residences at the Orange Loop. Plans allow for construction of an additional 19 units.
The residences include rooftop decks, ocean views and other amenities and are within walking distance of restaurants and entertainment in the Orange Loop district.
In Chelsea, Colosseo Atlantic City received approval for 74 four-story townhomes near the former Atlantic Club casino. Plans call for four-bedroom residences with rooftop decks, private parking and landscaping.
The developer has also discussed plans to redevelop the former casino hotel property as a combination hotel and condominium destination.
The most ambitious proposal is the $3.4 billion Renaissance at Bader Field, which could transform the former municipal airport property into a large mixed-use district.
Plans call for townhomes, duplexes, condominiums, residential towers, a hotel, retail space, promenades, entertainment attractions and an automotive-themed motorsports complex. The proposal remains subject to additional government approvals.
Collectively, the projects represent a substantial expansion of the housing inventory in two of Atlantic County’s largest communities.
New residential development can generate construction activity, expand the local tax base and bring additional customers to stores, restaurants and professional services. The volume of projects underway or proposed also indicates continued developer interest in both Egg Harbor Township and Atlantic City.
As always, remember to support local businesses, especially small businesses.
Rich Baehrle, of Berkshire Hathaway Fox & Roach, can be reached at 609-226-6680 or 609-641-0011 or by email at richardbaehrle@gmail.com.
