The plan to transform the former Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort into the new-look Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Atlantic City reportedly received a massive boost yesterday as the New Jersey Casino Control Commission approved the management deal between the property’s owner and the proposed operator of its future casino.
According to a report from The Press of Atlantic City newspaper, the Atlantic City venue is owned by Boardwalk 1000, which encompasses American casino operator Hard Rock International alongside investors Joe Jingoli and Jack Morris. An entity known as HR Atlantic City will reportedly oversee the property’s coming gambling facilities.
The newspaper reported that HR Atlantic City is a full subsidiary of Hard Rock International, which is itself owned by the Seminole Tribe of Florida, while?the Tuesday?endorsement from the New Jersey Casino Control Commission was needed in advance of the future Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Atlantic City being granted a casino license.
Orlando-based Hard Rock International partnered with Jingoli and Morris to purchase the shuttered Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort for $50 million in March and the trio is now reportedly spending approximately $500 million on renovations ahead of re-opening the venue as the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Atlantic City in the summer. The newspaper earlier revealed that workers have been toiling since July to remove the onion domes and ruby-red minarets that once dominated the building’s fa?ade. The finished project could also reportedly see the development feature a franchise of the casino operator’s Rockstop Gas and Wash complete with gasoline pumps, a convenience store and a car wash.
The Press of Atlantic City moreover reported that the deal between Boardwalk 1000 and HR Atlantic City will see the latter operate the casino inside the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Atlantic City for ten years, which the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement regulator earlier purportedly ruled was ‘a sufficient duration to ensure reasonable continuity, stability and independence in the management of the operation’.