Atlantic County preparing for post-coronavirus economic recovery

Atlantic County is preparing for the moment when the COVID-19 pandemic turns to economic recovery, the county executive said Monday.“The current pandemic was unforeseeable at the local level,” Atlantic County Executive Dennis Levinson said. “We have some difficult times ahead, but we are prepared at our level to do what needs to be done with the resources at our disposal, and do it quickly.”

The county is assessing economic recovery needs after the coronavirus issue interrupted what he says was "a growing and strengthening local economy."“Casino gaming revenues were increasing, employers were hiring, property values were rising, the tax base was stabilizing and our efforts to diversify the local economy were well underway," he said. "All of this was set back overnight.”

Atlantic and Cape May counties were particularly hard hit by the outbreak due to the large number of local businesses in the hospitality and entertainment sectors, he noted. “The pain of mandatory stay-at-home orders is not limited to our area but is being felt nationwide,” Levinson said.Those setbacks highlight the importance of the county’s economic diversification efforts, including building up a local aviation industry, he said.“Our aviation assets are unequaled,” he said.

Levinson expressed his support for certain state initiatives that could strengthen Atlantic County’s Aviation Innovation Hub, including:

• Designating the New Jersey Aviation Innovation Hub as a Center of Excellence for Post-Pandemic research.
• Directing the South Jersey Transportation Authority, which operates Atlantic City International Airport, to implement a capital spending strategy to support air cargo operations at Atlantic City International Airport.
• Establishing the New Jersey COVID-19 Task Force to leverage funding in the CARES Act and advocate for additional resources in future stimulus packages expected from Congress.

Levinson said local aviation highlights include:

• The Federal Aviation Administration’s William J. Hughes Technical Center, the nation’s leading and largest aviation research laboratory;
• Atlantic City International Airport, an uncongested facility already designated as an aviation research testbed;
• The National Aviation Research and Technology Park, an aviation research technology park with partners including the National Institute of Aerospace, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Rowan University, Stockton University, and Atlantic Cape Community College;
• Partnership with Cape May County and its Unmanned Aerial Systems programs at the Cape May County Airport;
• The Smart Airport and Aviation Partnership located at the National Aviation Research and Technology Park and administered by the National Institute of Aerospace to accelerate the development of Smart Airport and Unmanned Air System Technologies.