➤ Slated to open in August 2015, the new Harrah’s Waterfront Conference Center will be the largest convention center hotel complex from Baltimore to Boston. The venue will feature two 50,000-square-foot ballrooms that can be divided into 29 individual sections, offering state-of-the-art, technologically advanced meeting space for up to 5,000 attendees. In addition, Harrah’s Atlantic City offers over 2,500 hotel rooms directly accessible from the meeting space.
➤ Tropicana Entertainment Inc. announced $35 million in proposed renovations for Tropicana Casino and Resort. Slated to commence in late 2014 for completion by the end of the 2015, a series of four significant upgrades will include the addition of a light show/entertainment feature to Tropicana’s Boardwalk facade, a new fitness center and North Tower hotel room renovations. Additionally, 10,000 square feet of space will create four retail shops and a gym, while new lighting, banners and an oversized video monitor will enhance the street-level project.
➤ Plans for the transformation of the historic Steel Pier into a year-round attraction include a $4 million, 220-foot observation wheel. Targeting completion by July 2015, the wheel will feature 40 climate-controlled cars each holding six to 10 people.
➤ Scheduled to open in spring 2015, the new $34 million Bass Pro Shops will offer 86,000 square feet of destination retail space.
➤ Construction is under way on the Atlantic City Public Market, a $9.5 million, 30,000-square-foot indoor food market with space for more than 20 vendors and parking for some 130 cars. The venue is targeting a mid- to late-2015 opening.