ATLANTIC CITY — LandShark Bar & Grill at Resorts Casino Hotel plans to open an outdoor stage this summer for performances designed to draw new customers to what will be a newly widened beach.
IMCMV Atlantic City LLC has applied to the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority for permission to build a covered entertainment stage measuring 18 feet by 36 feet, with a dance floor, tiki bar and other amenities.
The company owns and operates Margaritaville-themed restaurants and entertainment venues across the country.
“The operators of LandShark are going to spend multi-millions of dollars on this project, which is going to be a true game-changer,†said Mark Giannantonio, president of Resorts.
The project also includes a thatched-roof tiki bar surrounded by a new wood deck; a four-sided roof sign along with other smaller signs; cabanas; thatched umbrellas; lounge chairs, fire pits and hammocks; and corn hole and beer pong tables.
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Giannantonio said the casino and the operators wanted to do the project last summer but found it impractical due to severe erosion that washed away large sections of the city’s beach.
A beach replenishment project is underway, with work taking place daily within sight of Giannantonio’s office window.
Polar plungers stayed in for as long as 15 minutes during the annual New Year's Day Atlantic City dip in the ocean, which benefits a local cancer support group.
The project will be “much bigger†than the bar that used to be there, Giannantonio said.
“We have LandShark built literally right over the sand,†he said. “With this expansion, we believe the beach will be busier than ever.â€
Giannantonio said he hopes to have the project built and open by Memorial Day weekend, depending on how quickly approvals and construction take place. If that goal cannot be met, he hopes it will open early in the summer.
“Applicant believes that this project will provide a benefit to the city and its visitors by providing a unique entertainment experience,†IMCMV Atlantic City wrote in a letter to CRDA outlining the proposal.
Plans for the project were submitted to the CRDA, the state agency that controls planning and zoning efforts in the city’s tourism zone, among other things, on Dec. 23. It is scheduled for a hearing Jan. 16.
It is also likely to need approval from the state Department of Environmental Protection because it involves development on or near the beachfront.
Margaritaville and LandShark opened at Resorts in May 2013.
