[Note from October 2015: These were some brief thoughts after the closing of Trump Plaza in 2014. I visited in August 2014 for a final time a few weeks before the property closed. It seems appropriate to publish, especially with all of the recent media attention on Donald Trump.]
Update: 9 a.m. Wednesday, February 17th, 2021 – Implosion of the former Trump Plaza. Read more details about the charity auction and public viewing in the TravelZork Atlantic City Overview for February 2021.
The 16th of September 2014 marked the closing of Trump Plaza, Atlantic City.
Officially, the third casino closure in 2014.
Such a sad overall situation for Atlantic City, the former “East Coast Gem” of gaming. While Atlantic City has always had its share of problems, things have finally caught up with the city. While competition has always been a concern, often ignored by casino executives in Atlantic City, the current reality was just too much to ignore.
I can’t help but step back to 1984 and the opening of Trump Plaza, to much hyperbole.
It was May 22, 1984, and a large crowd had gathered to help him launch Harrah’s Trump Plaza, the flashy hotel-casino that Trump had proudly described as full of “brass, glass and class.” Now he was telling the crowd that his hotel was the finest building in Atlantic City and perhaps the finest in the country.
Donald Trump was a 37 year old with a billion-dollar real estate empire at the time. Harrah’s Trump Plaza became Atlantic City’s tenth casino. While I hate to be so pessimistic about Atlantic City, the “golden days” have truly come to a close.
The consolidation will continue, and Atlantic City shall be left with a few strong operators. I will leave you with some photos I took early one morning a few weeks before the closing of Trump Plaza.
You will notice the prominent “BACCARAT” sign in the high limit room. At one point, Trump Plaza had attracted some “major” baccarat action. But, I shall leave those stories for another post. Please make special note of the porte-cochère, TP logo motif, and chandeliers; significant features of the Trump Plaza style.
Also, See:
Casino Musings
The Strangest Casino In The World… With The Best View!
(With talk about Baccarat versus Chemin de Fer in Atlantic City.)
