Atlantic City’s troubled boardwalk got a bit of good news this when reports began circulating that the Hard Rock International group will likely be buying the Trump Taj Mahal Casino.
The Florida-based investment is reportedly planning to spend upwards of $300 million updating and upgrading the Trump Taj Mahal.
The Taj Mahal’s owner, billionaire Carl Icahn, did address the matter of a potential sale in a statement saying that they:
…determined that we only wanted to own one property in Atlantic City. A sale of the Taj Mahal therefore represents the optimal outcome for us.
That short statement entirely skips the real story behind why the Trump Taj Mahal closed in the first place. That story includes a bitter labor battle that ended with Icahn’s attempt to bust the hospitality workers union by shutting the casino down entirely. It also skips the parts where New Jersey lawmakers respond to Icahn’s shady labor tactics by threatening to put a 5-year freeze on his gaming license.
None of the back story matters much to Atlantic City residents and casino workers. They’re most interested in reviving their dying economy and boarded up casinos definitely don’t help draw in tourists. That’s why Atlantic City Mayor Don Guardian saying that his city’s best days are, “still ahead of us.” Guardian also told reporters:
Now is the time to invest in our great city. The price is right. We need to bring back thousands of jobs for our Atlantic City residents and for South Jersey. Today’s announcement is a great step in that direction.
So far, there’s no word on whether Hard Rock will be keeping the Trump Taj Mahal name or re-branding the casino entirely.