Shuttered $2.4B Atlantic City casino readies for 2nd chance

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — For months, there was little, if any, sign that Atlantic City’s former Revel casino, a $2 billion bust, was getting ready to reopen.

Colorado developer Bruce Deifik bought it in January and made plans for its reincarnation as the Ocean Resort Casino. But there was scant activity visible on the site.

That has changed.

Now, days from its opening date of June 28, the place is a blur of activity: Cocktail servers and bartenders are practicing their serving technique, housekeeping staff are already working on hotel rooms and seemingly everywhere you look someone is using a drill or a saw on something.

Revel cost $2.4 billion to build and lasted just over two years before closing on Sept. 2, 2014, making it Atlantic’s biggest casino flop.

Deifik set out to correct Revel’s numerous flaws, including difficulty getting around on the casino floor and making one’s way through the property. The casino floor has been reconfigured with straighter sight lines and walkways. Employees called ambassadors will not only tell guests how to get to certain places, they’ll walk them there, Schorr said.

Sixteen of the property’s 20 restaurants will be open on its first day, with the other four opening soon afterward, Schorr said.

Ocean Resort is reopening on the same day as the former Trump Taj Mahal, which is reopening as the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino.