Trump Plaza was one of four Atlantic City casinos that shut down in 2014 during a period of contraction in the local casino industry, brought about by increased nearby competition and an oversaturated market. In recent years, Icahn has requested the use of more than $5 million in redevelopment tax payments that Trump Plaza made while it was operating to help offset the cost of demolition. This poses a threat to the surrounding area.” “There are five big holes in this building,” said Fire Chief Scott Evans. “We had high school wrestling championships with 13,000 people walking nearby.” “We could have had a fatality,” Small said. City buildings department officials and firefighters inspected the building, including flying drones over and next to it, and determined it is an imminent risk to public safety. “We are both on the same page about seeing this building demolished, but maybe with different paths,” he said.īut Small added the recent deterioration of outer walls on the casino hotel building have left gaping hopes that will only get worse with continued wind and rain. In his news conference, Small did note that the city and Icahn have been in negotiations for several weeks regarding the demolition of the casino, which opened in 1984. The statement did not address when Icahn hopes to have the building demolished, and the company did not respond to a request for clarification on his timetable.
