The South Inlet portion of the Boardwalk has sat mostly dark since the Trump Taj Mahal closed last year, but the opening of the Observation Wheel at the Steel Pier could signal the start of rebirth in the area.
The $14 million, 227-foot wheel, the third tallest in the country, is expected to be ready in October and will be the first of many projects that could turn the area around.
With no gaming north of Resorts Casino Hotel, and Showboat reopened only as a hotel, that portion of the Boardwalk is barren with little in the way of attractions to draw people in.
But that is going to change with the Observation Wheel at Steel Pier set up in a couple of weeks and in summer 2018, when Hard Rock is expected to open a new property at the empty Taj Mahal in a plan to reinvigorate the darkest part of the Boardwalk.