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State of Play’s TL;DR
- Atlantic City may be getting a new kind of casino-adjacent expansion: housing, not hotel towers.
- Mayor Marty Small Sr. says MGM Resorts International is considering residential development on the vacant land it owns between Borgata and Harrah’s, with options ranging from 500 to 1,800 units.
Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small Sr. said he has met with officials from MGM Resorts International, who are proposing three residential concepts for its 70-acre Marina District site between Borgata and Harrah’s casinos.
According to the mayor, the options include 1,800 units, 1,000 units, or 500 units, along with some retail.
In a Facebook post, Small said:
“For the first time publicly, I’m proud to announce after meeting with MGM’s team, they are proposing 3 residential development initiatives for their land in between Borgata and Harrah’s.”
The site has been on Atlantic City’s radar for years. In 2007, it was envisioned as the location of a $5 billion mega-casino with three hotel towers, but that project never materialized. More recently, the Atlantic City Planning Board endorsed an amended plan in December that loosened development rules there, allowing single-family homes for the first time and pushing the area toward a mixed-use neighborhood with housing, commercial space, and better pedestrian and bicycle circulation.
City sees housing for full-time residents, second-home buyers
Borgata and Harrah’s sit in one of Atlantic City’s most important gaming corridors, and the land between them has long represented unrealized casino expansion potential.
Small made clear that the city now sees a different future for the parcel, saying the land “was more than likely going to be used for future casinos,” but that “we’re not going to allow (new) casinos in Atlantic City anymore.”
The city’s stated goals include attracting year-round residents, second-home buyers, casino employees, and the expanding medical workforce. If that vision advances, casino-owned land becomes part of a larger ecosystem that supports staffing, foot traffic, and neighborhood activity rather than just gaming revenue.
Small also framed the proposal as a confidence signal.
“It shows that investor confidence is at an all-time high.”
MGM officials, however, did not respond to a request for comment, so the company’s preferred option and timeline remain unclear.
Based on reporting by Wayne Parry for The Press of Atlantic City.
