The grand opening is set for June 28.
The Hard Rock Atlantic City’s grand opening is planned for June 28. Three-hundred entertainment acts have been hired for the first year of operation. New signs are going on the Hard Rock Atlantic City building, once known as the Trump Taj Mahal. The 3000th employee was hired recently.
Everything seems to be falling into place for Hard Rock Atlantic City, including the approval of a gaming license by the Division of Gaming Enforcement. The Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City plans a lot of entertainment, both at the grand opening and in the year after it opens.
The casino’s opening is a welcome site to many Atlantic City’s politicians and the residents who have another 3,000 jobs available, though the casino’s opening caused some hand-wringing among competitors – who fear the local market is too small to sustain another casino.
The Trump Taj Mahal closed in October 2016. Last year, Taj Mahal owner Carl Icahn sold the property to the Seminole Indian tribe of Florida, which promised to make $500 million in investments and renovations.
Hard Rock Atlantic City
The grand opening date along the extensive entertainment lineup were announced at press conferences that took place at three different Hard Rock Locations. The Hard Rock Cafe Philadelphia, the Hard Rock Cafe New York City and the Hard Rock Atlantic City preview center in the Tanger Outlets in Atlantic City.
Jim Allen, chairman of Hard Rock International, announced that 300 acts have been booked for Hard Rock in Atlantic City. Hard Rock Atlantic City announced a string of musical guests to perform at the new resort including Kellie Pickler, Florida Georgia Line and Maroon 5.
Tickets for the acts have already become available on ticketmaster.com. Some of the announced acts include Steve Byrne on June 26, Howie Mandel on July 3, the Gin Blossoms on July 21 and Bush on August 1 — just to name a few.
The Howie Mandel Comedy Club is going to be on-site. The casino said it will feature more than 300 nights of live entertainment in its first year of opening.
Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Sign
As the final touches are placed inside the resort, the large outdoor signs also were placed. This past week, workers began to install the enormous, can’t-miss “Hard Rock Hotel and Casino” letters on the outside of the building.
The signature Hard Rock gold letters are being installed on the side of the building facing Pennsylvania Avenue. The letters measure 8ft tall and can be seen 11 stories up.
Carl Icahn Sold Tropicana Casino
The former Trump Taj Mahal is not the only major change in Atlantic City. Carl Icahn sold Tropicana Entertainment Casino, ending his 8-year tenure as an Atlantic City casino owner.
Meanwhile, the former Revel casino is now being transformed into Ocean Resort Casino. The opening date is expected to be announced soon, but should be sometime in 2018. The newest renovation on the Ocean Resort includes a wall that once separated the former Revel from the Atlantic City Boardwalk was torn down in hopes to make the casino more inviting.
3000 New Jobs Added
Though the main benefit to the New Hard Rock may seem like the endless entertainment, the real benefit is the job opportunities it is bringing to the city. This past Wednesday, the casino marked its 3,000th hire, Leonard Coleman, a craps dealer who lives in Atlantic City. So far, the casino has received more than 20,000 applications for permanent jobs. The Hard Rock plans to hire around 500 more employees before the grand opening, so local residents should continue to apply.
The city hit a huge job loss when five casinos shut their doors between 2014 and 2016. The Taj Mahal and Revel were among those contributing to the loss of 11,000 jobs. With the reopening of the two casinos, they will be restoring nearly 6,500 of those jobs.
The Trump Taj Mahal was previously owned by now-President Donald Trump. In that era, it was filled with Indian-themed domes and minarets that, since it opened in 1990, defined the property. Those have been stripped away to make room for the giant electric guitar at the casino’s entrance. The Hard Rock Atlantic City will be filled with music memorabilia such as items from New Jersey artists like Bon Jovi and Whitney Houston. Slot machines have also started to fill the casino floor in order to be ready for the grand opening next month.
