The ocean side of the Boardwalk will be brightened up by more than 160 LED light poles under a $12.8 million project that also includes new security cameras to enhance safety on Atlantic City’s signature attraction.
The Casino Reinvestment Development Authority, the state agency that oversees the city’s tourism and redevelopment projects, approved the new lighting plan for the entire length of the Boardwalk from Jackson to Caspian avenues. The lighting is expected to greatly improve the Boardwalk’s appearance and will illuminate what have been some darker, more foreboding sections of the 4-mile-long wooden promenade caused by four casino closings last year. The goal is to have the lighting ready by this summer, in time for the peak tourism season.
The Atlantic County Improvement Authority is overseeing the project in a lease with the city. The CRDA plans to finance the lighting with $12.3 million in new bonds and $500,000 in other authority funding. The CRDA funding is considered a loan that will be paid back over seven years using revenue generated by advertising and sponsorships from the lighting displays.