Trump era in Atlantic City to end with a blast Wednesday with implosion of Trump Plaza
ATLANTIC CITY β With the former Trump Plaza about to be demolished, this might seem like a good time to assess the legacy of the casino-hotelβs one-time operator.
Only someoneβs already done that, enthusiastically praising Donald Trumpβs role in the gaming industry.
βThe Trump Organization enjoyed tremendous success in Atlantic City,β this account gushes, βand Donald Trump has been commended for the timing of his exit from this business.β
At least thatβs the view from The Trump Organizationβs online history.
But others see it differently, recalling 15 years of Boardwalk bombast, braggadocio, and business reversals.
βThis is the fitting end of Trumpβs era,β Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small Sr. said of the planned Wednesday implosion of Trump Plazaβs long-vacant hotel tower, which has even inspired nearby Caesar's to promote a "stay and view" Schadenfreude special offering guests a "front seat to Atlantic City history."
βYou canβt take away the fact that he invested his money and got a lot of jobs for people,β the mayor said of Trump. βBut he stiffed a lot of people and was selfish.β
Small also asserted Trump βmade a mockeryβ of a struggling community βwhen he said, βI made a lot of money in Atlantic City and I got out.ββ
Indeed, during his tumultuous time here, Trump drew attention for his celebrity status and glittering properties β and for his casino firmβs massive losses and multiple bankruptcies.
And while Trump boasted about his Atlantic City empire, critics note, his contractors often clamored β frequently, without success β for full payment. Similarly, Trumpβs lenders saw his debts reduced in court without repayment, while investors saw prices plunge for his casino firmβs stock.
Oh, and lawsuits flew around like so many seagulls fighting over spilled popcorn.
βI think some people are going to be happy to see the Trump Plaza come down,," said David Spatz, a Linwood radio host who once covered the casinos as an entertainment reporter.
At one point during Trump's time in Atlantic City, Spatz said, "The sun rose and set on him here."
But the casino operator "also screwed over a lot of people in town," said Spatz, who has a midday show on NewsTalk 1400 WOND.
For every person with fond memories of Trump, he suggested, "You'll probably find three who say, 'I lost my job. I lost my business. I lost this and that because he wouldn't pay his bills.'"
As a reporter, Spatz also witnessed Trumpβs ability to quickly change his mood and to revise his version of reality.
The casino operator could share a pleasant meal with a reporter β typically pouring ketchup on a steak "burnt to a crisp" β and then call later with an angry tirade over his coverage, said Spatz.
βTrump would say, βI never said that!β and you would say, βYes, you did, Donald.ββ
Ultimately, the Trump firmβs uneven record in Atlantic City reflected his personality, observed Marvin Roffman, a former gaming analyst.
βTrump is a very smart guy, but he has a major flaw; he cannot take criticism,β said Roffman, who lost his job after Trump threatened to sue his employer over an unflattering opinion of a Trump property.
βAs long as youβd say things he was in agreement with, he could be a really nice, sweet guy,β said Roffman. βIf you said something he didnβt want to hear, heβd turn into a monster.β
The demolition of Trump Plaza, vacant since 2014, will remove an eyesore from the center of the cityβs famed Boardwalk, said Small, whose administration has made the project a top priority.
It also will erase the last remaining link to the Trump era, he added.
The casino-hotel, built at a cost of $214 million, was Trumpβs first venture in Atlantic City when it opened next to Boardwalk Hall in 1984.
The developer added the Trump Marina one year later and his largest gaming hall, the Trump Taj Mahal, in 1990. A fourth attraction, Trump Worldβs Fair, operated from 1996 to 1999.
Trumpβs name, once omnipresent on his buildings, no longer glows on the resort cityβs skyline.
The Trump Marina, which was sold in 2011, is now the Golden Nugget. The Taj Mahal changed hands after a 2004 bankruptcy and closed in 2016; it reopened two years later without its brightly colored domes and minarets as the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino.
Trump Worldβs Fair was demolished after its closing.
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