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After years debating the fate of the abandoned main tower, the date for its implosion is Jan. 29 -- nine days after the 2021 U.S. Presidential Inauguration, Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small said.
On Wednesday, Small announced that his city is auctioning off a chance to blow up Trump's former casino with dynamite -- with the mayor predicting bids to top $1million
Auction proceeds will be donated to the Boys & Girls Club of Atlantic City. The casino closed in 2014 after 30 years in business and fell into disrepair The move ends President Trump’s decades-old business ties to Atlantic City.
'Some of Atlantic City's iconic moments happened there, but on his way out, Donald Trump openly mocked Atlantic City, saying he made a lot of money and then got out,' Small said. 'I wanted to use the demolition of this place to raise money for charity.'
The Boys & Girls Club has hired a professional auction company to solicit bids through Jan. 19, when top bids will be revealed and a live auction will pick a winner.
Trump, then a real-estate developer, opened the casino in 1984 at the center of Atlantic City's boardwalk. In its prime, Trump Plaza Hotel enjoyed many high-profile boxing matches, which Trump would regularly attend.
Two other former casinos, the Trump Taj Mahal and Trump Marina were rebranded into the Golden Nugget and Hard Rock Hotel & Casino.
It will take months to clean up the site after the Jan. 29 implosion, Small said.
Another tower, which includes the Rainforest Café and a parking deck, will remain near the waterfront boardwalk, the mayor said.
After cleaning up the site -- estimated to take five to six months -- future use of the oceanfront property is up in the air.
Icahn Enterprises bought the casino in 2016, two years after it closed.
Small has said he favors redeveloping the property into some form of "family fun entertainment."
Although the next step is up to Ichan, Small is optimistic whatever replaces Trump Plaza Casino will boost the city’s future.
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