In an eight-block stretch along the Boardwalk, nearly half the land is either vacant or surface parking.
That “dead zone” bound by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, South Carolina Avenue, Pacific Avenue and the Boardwalk could be much more, according to a study from graduate students of the Rutgers University Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy.
The Rutgers plan, called the “Downtown Loop,” envisions a mix of commercial and residential uses, bike lanes, open space and limited pedestrian-only areas along the small side street of Westminster Avenue (aka Snake Alley).
“Creating a pedestrian-only area with a mix of restaurants and other commercial uses is a great use for Snake Alley, leveraging its history and creating a different kind of experience here in the city,” Mayor Don Guardian said in a statement.
Such development would not only make for a better use of the land but could help with the city’s finances. If developed, Atlantic City could receive more than $6.7 million in tax revenue annually, the study said.