City of Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small, Sr. announced during a news conference, this morning, that the $20-million awarded to the city as part of New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy’s $100-million Boardwalk Preservation Fund will be used to improve the Atlantic City Boardwalk from New Jersey to Tennessee Avenues. Atlantic City is receiving the largest grant in the State under this fund, along with Asbury Park. This work is anticipated to be completed by the end of 2026.
This announcement came as the start of a $6-million Boardwalk reconstruction project from Bellevue Avenue to Columbia Pl got underway this week. Utilizing the grant money awarded to the city from the U.S. Economic Development Administration (USEDA), the city is replacing this particular section of the Boardwalk that is over 100 years old. In addition, as part of this project, new concrete ramps will be installed at Texas Avenue and Mississippi Avenue. These ramps will be fortified to handle vehicles for larger scale events.
“We are extremely excited to announce the rebuilding of the greatest Boardwalk in the world in the great City of Atlantic City,” said Mayor Small. “We’re grateful for these contributions from our Federal and State partners. This is another example of the Small administration bettering Atlantic City without using taxpayer money, while addressing the structural needs conducive to a stronger and safer Boardwalk.”
“There is nothing more unique to Atlantic City than the historic Boardwalk,” said Linda Cruz-Carnall, Regional Director of the USEDA’s Philadelphia Regional Office. “Not only will this project encourage greater tourism in Atlantic City, but it will also bolster local businesses, create good paying jobs, and revitalize the economy at the Jersey shore, as this Boardwalk is a regional economic driver.”
“Millions of dollars of other people’s money have been spent so far to rebuild the Atlantic City Boardwalk thanks, in large part, to strong relationships,” said City of Atlantic City Grant Consultant Jim Rutala. “It takes a lot of money for a rehabilitation project like this and it takes a lot of commitment from many different city departments to reach the success we’ve achieved to this point.”
Construction has begun on Bellevue Avenue and will continue to Florida Avenue this Spring. The contractor will then remobilize after the busy Summer season, and continue from Florida Avenue to Columbia Pl, with plans to extend improvements to Arkansas Avenue. This section of the Boardwalk is anticipated to be completed by the end of 2024. The project was designed by Czar Engineering. The Boardwalk contractor is Weatherby Construction, and the Texas Avenue ramp is being built by Feriozzi Concrete Company.
Over $60-million in Atlantic City Boardwalk improvements have been completed from Gardner’s Basin to Ocean Casino Resort. To date, $86-million in funds have been secured from eight different State and Federal agencies for Boardwalk improvements, with about $60-million in additional funds needed to finish the entire Boardwalk. Rutala Associates prepared all the funding applications, and has been working with Federal and State agencies to gain additional grants to complete the Boardwalk reconstruction.
