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“We are extremely excited to announce the rebuilding of the greatest Boardwalk in the world," Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small said Tuesday.
The $20 million awarded to the city as part of Gov. Phil Murphy’s $100 million Boardwalk Preservation Fund will be used to fix the famous wooden way from New Jersey to Tennessee avenues. The citys' is the largest grant under the funding, along with Asbury Park.
Work is expected to be done by the end of 2026.
“We’re grateful for these contributions from our federal and state partners," Small said, as he stood in front of the $6 million Boardwalk reconstruction that started this week, covering from Bellevue Avenue to Columbia Place.
That grant money is from the U.S. Economic Development Administration, which is allowing the city to replace the more than 100-year-old section.
Fortified concrete ramps will be installed at Texas and Mississippi avenues as well, allowing them to handle heavy vehicles for larger-scale events.
“There is nothing more unique to Atlantic City than the historic Boardwalk,” said Linda Cruz-Carnall, regional director of the USEDA’s Philadelphia Regional Office. “Not only will this project encourage greater tourism in Atlantic City, but it will also bolster local businesses, create good paying jobs, and revitalize the economy at the Jersey shore, as this Boardwalk is a regional economic driver.”
Construction started on Bellevue Avenue and will continue to Florida Avenue this spring.
Things will start again after the busy summer season with work going from Florida Avenue to Columbia Place. There are also plans to extend improvements to Arkansas Avenue.
This section should be completed by the end of the year.
The project was designed by Czar Engineering. The Boardwalk contractor is Weatherby Construction, and the Texas Avenue ramp is being built by Feriozzi Concrete Company.
“Millions of dollars of other people’s money have been spent so far to rebuild the Atlantic City Boardwalk thanks, in large part, to strong relationships,” said city consultant Jim Rutala. “It takes a lot of money for a rehabilitation project like this and it takes a lot of commitment from many different city departments to reach the success we’ve achieved to this point.”
More $60 million in Atlantic City Boardwalk improvements have been completed from Gardner’s Basin to Ocean Casino Resort.
The city has secured $86 million in funds from eight different state and federal agencies for Boardwalk improvements, with about $60 million in additional funds needed to finish the entire Boardwalk.
Rutala Associates prepared all the funding applications, and has been working with federal and state agencies to gain additional grants to complete the Boardwalk reconstruction.
