Ten Ideas for Atlantic City – By Bill Kelly billkelly3@gmail.com (609)425-6297
1)They started a Mob-Museum in Las Vegas with support of the FBI, but without too much community support. That museum belongs in Atlantic City, where organized crime got organized at the 1929 convention of mobsters, while Vegas didn’t get started until after WWII, by the same people who decided, at the AC meeting, that gambling should replace booze as the mob’s primary source of income after prohibition ended.
2)Fix the Boardwalk Hall organ – the largest in the world, and make it a major attraction again. Also do whatever it takes to bring back the Miss America pageant.
3)The PGA Senior’s Tour began at the Atlantic City Country Club and there should be a PGA Champion’s Tour event at the Jersey Shore, as well as a major amateur event similar to the Sonny Fraser Tournament that was discontinued when ACCC was purchased by the casinos.
4)While the beach and boardwalk are important, the back bays of Atlantic City are not utilized as they should be by boaters, fishermen, sailors and canoe/kayaks, and the local boat construction industry has for too long concentrated on large yachts, while they also should be building smaller boats that more people can afford and use. Among the boats that should be concentrated on are Olympic class sailboats, row boats and Americas Cup Class sailboats.
5)There is a new, international circuit of America’s Cup Class catamarans that are really fast and exciting to watch, who are looking for places to race – and Atlantic City should be considered as a possible venue. While the America’s Cup is now in San Francisco, it might be raced again in Newport, and Atlantic City could be considered for the World Cup event of America’s Cup Class boats, which would be like hosting the Superbowl of boats.
6)In order to attract foreign visitors, the Atlantic City Airport should make it easy for private planes to land there from Europe, and the Atlantic City Yacht basin should encourage more visits by wealthy yachters.
7)Among the attractions Atlantic City should offer is more concerts and shows, bringing back the Atlantic City Pop Festival (1969) and Atlantic City Jazz and Folk Festivals, making them city-wide events, both in and outside of the casinos.
8)The casino showrooms should make it easy for the acts to film and record their shows and sold-out shows can be presented live over the internet – or archived and viewed later, or the music downloaded and listened to shortly after the show is over – Live From Atlantic City.
9)With all of the acts that come to Atlantic City there should be full service recording studios for them to record new albums and videos, and the film industry should be encouraged to come to Atlantic City to make movies. There’s no reason why the Boardwalk Empire set had built in a Brooklyn lot, when it could have be right in Atlantic City and made into a tourist attraction when not in use.
10)There used to be over 200 liquor licenses in Atlantic City, and they should be reissued so new bars and restaurants can be opened outside of the casinos, and operated 24 hours a day – 7 days a week. Atlantic City used to be known as an “Open City” open for business all the time - AC 24-7.
