Since the state takeover in 2016, residents of Atlantic City have been told that better days are coming, and, while for many residents things are the same as they ever were, there are genuine signs that the tide may be turning in AC.
“You look at places like Long Branch or Asbury Park that have been so successful redeveloping their urban communities along the beachfront, Atlantic City is the next one to go,” said Matt Doherty, a former mayor of Belmar, a successful, albeit smaller seaside town about an hour north. He now runs the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority, the CRDA. The authority’s mission is to parlay casino industry success into redevelopment projects around the city.