TRENTON – Senator Jeff Van Drew (D-Cape May/Cumberland/Atlantic), a member of the Legislative Gaming Summit which crafted a plan to preserve and revitalize the state’s gaming and horse racing industries, today released the following statement on legislation (S-11) he sponsored to create an Atlantic City Tourism (ACT) District and to boost marketing of the city. The bill was signed into law today by Governor Chris Christie:
“I’ve said all along that the success of Atlantic City ultimately rested on our ability to change the public perception of the resort. Today, we’ve taken an enormous step in that direction.
“This law lays the groundwork for transforming the city into a cleaner, safer and more visitor-friendly destination. It establishes a tourism district, in the area of the casinos and the boardwalk, which will be a central focus of the city – where police presence will be more visible and where infrastructure improvements will be a priority.
“Quite simply, these are the building blocks for making Atlantic City a world-wide tourist attraction. Because the bottom line is, while increasing promotion of Atlantic City is critical to securing our place alongside other top-tier travel destinations, such as Las Vegas and Disney World, we must first ensure that we have a first-rate resort destination to promote. This law puts us on that path.
“I am encouraged by the significant progress we’ve made toward revitalizing Atlantic City, both with today’s signing of landmark legislation and with the announcement that the state approved a financing mechanism to help get the Revel casino project restarted. This is truly an extraordinary day for the city.
“But we know we are far from finished. I look forward to working with my colleagues to ensure the success of the mission we’ve set forth: to re-establish Atlantic City as the economic engine that it once was, not only for the benefit of the region but for the entire state.”
