Some more information has come out about Dennis Gomes plans to purchase Resorts Casino, including how much the city’s oldest casino costs in today’s market.

Gomes and his partner, Morris Bailey, a New York real-estate developer, are buying to property for a bargain basement $35 million.

Consider that just three years ago Resorts refinanced for $360 million in loans.

Bailey’s partnership with Gomes was also disclosed for the first time Wednesday.

Bailey, who grew up in Atlantic City told The Wall Street Journal:

“I think there’s a point in time when it’s time to go in, and now is the time,” Mr. Bailey said  “Atlantic City will be able to re-create itself now. Will it ever get back to its peak in gaming? Probably not. But based on the value structure, the economics are better now than they ever were.”

For the Journal’s story go here.

To read AC Weekly’s recent interview with Gomes, go here.

Atlantic City’s need to give guests other incentives to visit the resort in the face of increased gaming competition has been a well-documented news item lately. So well documented, in fact, that neighboring municipalities seem to have picked up on the crusade with upgrades, improvements and added attractions of their own.

A prime example can be found in A.C.’s immediate neighbor to the north, Brigantine. St. George’s Pub — a popular but almost prohibitively small neighborhood niche — will soon be a full-fledged spacious and upscale dining establishment, as owner Jim Fowler leased the building next door (formerly Flagship Resorts), invested over $300,000 in interior and exterior upgrades, and will soon be open for business.

“We are 100 percent done and waiting for release of plans from the Department of Community Affairs in Trenton, then our inspection can be completed and a CO (certificate of occupancy) is given and we can open,” says Fowler.

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As Hurricane Earl moves toward the East Coast of the United States, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is taking aggressive actions to prepare for the storm and is coordinating closely with state and local officials along the East Coast to help support their response as needed.  FEMA is also encouraging all East Coast residents to take steps now to prepare for possible severe weather in the coming days.

Go here for more information on how to be prepared.

FEMA encourages all residents and those visiting the East Coast to pay close attention to local updates and heed evacuation orders should they be issued.
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Reported earlier this week, state Democrats are planning a second in their series of three summit meetings regarding Gov. Chris Christie’s proposed changes to Atlantic City.

The next summit is scheduled for Sept. 10 at the Meadowlands in East Rutherford, another area that, in addition to Atlantic City, Christie feels needs state involvement and change.

The first summit was held  Aug. 6; read more about it here.

According to a casino gambling Web site, “Among the proposals being considered at the summit is allowing racetracks to add slot machines. Another issue being discussed is the state becoming more involved in the Atlantic City casino industry. The casinos themselves are pushing to keep the state away.”

These summits are not the same as the Mayor’s Strategic Planning meetings.

Including one very exciting one co-organized and co-presented by Atlantic City Weekly called “Conversations & Storytelling,” which will be followed by a free and open-to-the-public Viewing Party at Caesars on Sept. 19, the night of the premiere of HBO’s upcoming series Boardwalk Empire.

Click here for all the info, plus info about some of the major events planned for the Atlantic City area over next couple months in relation to the show.

While you’re at it join the AC Weekly Boardwalk Empire Fan Club on Facebook to keep up to date on all the news and promotions surrounding the Cable TV series.

The Atlantic City Airshow “Thunder Over the Boardwalk” will take place rain or shine Wednesday, Aug. 25, as long as the cloud ceiling and visibility are within Federal Aviation Administration minimums for flying aircraft. There is no rain date for the show.

In the eight years that the Atlantic City Airshow has taken place, it has never been canceled.

Current weather conditions call for a slight chance of rain — 20 percent — for the day of the Airshow. For weather updates, monitor News Talk 1400-AM WOND or WMGM TV40 or your local news affiliate. For any updates on the Atlantic City Airshow, go here.

Aside from the premiere of the first season of Boardwalk Empire (yes, we said first season because from what we’ve seen, it’s going to be a tremendous success) set for Sunday, Sept. 19, at 9pm on HBO, Atlantic City Weekly has learned that the cable station will also be running a couple of programs related to the new series, based on local judge Nelson Johnson’s book.

According to a spokesperson for HBO, Making Boardwalk Empire will premiere on Aug. 23 at 8:45pm.

And then on Sept. 16 at 9pm,  Atlantic City: The Original Sin City will premiere. This will be a documentary on the city itself. Word has it that several Atlantic City historians — including Atlantic City Weekly columnist (”Waltz Through Time“) Jim Waltzer — have been interviewed over the past few weeks for the program. To read Waltzer’s columns on our Web site, type in the words “Waltz Through Time” in the search bar and you’ll get a list of Waltzer’s articles. (And for all you Atlantic City history buffs out there, look for new “Waltz Through Time” columns starting up in our paper and online soon. Jim Waltzer and Tom Wilk will both be contributing to the column.)

Click here to watch the trailer for the Making Boardwalk Empire show.

Meanwhile, Harrah’s Entertainment has a really cool Web site for its contest, in conjunction with HBO and Boardwalk Empire, for a chance to win access to a Caesars suite for a year (three days a month) and other prizes.

Catching up with some of the many items that have appeared on the Web over past few days on Atlantic City development and the state of New Jersey with regard to Gov. Chris Christie’s recent proposal and the latest gaming summit in Atlantic City.

First off, on Sunday, the Star-Ledger’s Web site published this blog post on the divisions within the state of  New Jersey regarding the Meadlowlands and gambling in the state. The post features an exchange between former New Jersey governors Brendan T. Byrne and Tom Kean, which took place during a July 22 teleconference.

Also on Sunday, the following blog was published about how the upcoming HBO series Boardwalk Empire may turn the tide for Atlantic City and offers a suggestion brought up by Atlantic County Superior Court Judge Nelson Johnson, the author of the book that the HBO series is based on.

The post states:

“The author of Boardwalk Empire, New Jersey Superior Court Judge Nelson Johnson, offered an excellent suggestion in his book: Atlantic City’s casinos should get together and sponsor low cost air travel to Atlantic City. Why not? Air travel to Las Vegas is among the cheapest fares in the USA, and is a critical part of Vegas’s success.”

Interesting.

On Monday, the Washington Post had this article on its Web site basically stating how the HBO series (starting Sunday, Sept. 19 at 9pm) is being “showered with love” by the critics already and that HBO is betting the house that it will be a huge success for the cable station.

Which means it could also be a big success for Atlantic City itself.

Today, Bloomberg News reports that Trump Entertainment may seek a partner to redevelop Trump Plaza in Atlantic City.

Plus this on sports betting and this on the Hilton, its lenders, and its mortgage problems.

Stay tuned to this blog for more and follow us on Twitter for the latest development updates.

Gov. Chris Christie’s plans for Atlantic City may have to go through The Meadowlands.

As state Democrats held a legislative summit Friday, which is being called the party’s response to Gov. Chris Christie’s proposals to oversee Atlantic City’s casino and tourism district, privatize the state’s racing industry and fix problems at the Meadowlands, it was clear that the northern part of the state was going to be heard.

Many attendees wore “Save the Meadowlands” T-shirts and it was clear the horse racing industry was widely supported (we suspect a bus trip from the north, but we can’t prove it).

One of the most, contentious exchanges came between Sen. Paul Sarlo, D- Wood-Ridge and head of the state senate budget panel and Mark Juliano, president of the New Jersey Casino Association.

Sarlo, who clearly supports a casino project at the Meadowlands, wondered how Atlantic City casinos can be asking for help in the face of competition when Harrah’s Entertainment has opened casinos in Pennsylvania.

“Does that send a good message to investors?” he asked.

Juliano, who is also head of Trump Entertainment, defended Harrah’s investment and commitment to the city.

Senate president Steven Sweeney, often seen as the second most powerful politician in the state (and some would say he and Christie are actually tied) also questioned aspects of the governor’s report on the city, especially that state aide was really needed to clean up the city and improve public safety.

Proponents have said that the public has the perception  that the city is dirty and unsafe, even if it’s not necessarily true.

“Once you accept a report that says that, then it is true,” Sweeney said.

Two more summits are to be scheduled; one at the Meadowlands and one in Trenton.

But the results of the first summit are clear. There’s a lot of debate ahead.

According to a Fairleigh Dickinson/PublicMind poll published today, New Jersey voters are split on Gov. Chris Christie’s recent proposals regarding the state’s casino, racing and entertainment industries.

According to the poll:

Fifty-six percent say it’s a good idea to privatize racetrack operations.

However, 48 percent say state intervention in Atlantic City is a bad idea; 38 percent support it.

Read more from the BusinessWeek Web site.