In just a matter of seconds, 30 years of history along the Atlantic City boardwalk was reduced to a pile of rubble and a billowing cloud of dust during the implosion of the Trump Plaza.
There was a stillness in the air outside OneAtlantic, the pier overlooking the long-shuttered hotel, as the countdown began. Birds scattered as a rolling, thunderous boom overtook the air and the 39-story building crumbled to the ground, falling away like it was made of water.
Hundreds of people drove to Atlantic City on the blistery cold Wednesday morning for a spectacle the resort town hadn’t seen in 13 years.
Trump Plaza in Atlantic City is imploded Wednesday morning Feb. 17, 2021. The hotel and casino opened in 1984 and closed in 2014.Lori Nichols
Trump Plaza, which opened in 1984 as the first casino of former President Donald Trump, closed in 2014 and put more than 1000 people out of work. Ichan Enterprises took ownership in 2016, and it’s sat vacant since. Mayor Marty Small made it a mission of his administration last year to see the deteriorating building come down, paving the way for something new.
“Today is truly a great day here in the city of Atlantic City,” Small said from the pier, shortly after the building came down. He said conversations with Ichan would now shift to what comes next. “With the Same energy effort and passion to get this building down, we will have the same energy effort and passion to stand shoulder to shoulder with them to build something.”
In the hopes of limiting crowds and promoting social distancing, officials didn’t plan a spectacle like the implosion of the Sands casino in 2007 — complete with a fireworks display that drew 100,000 onlookers.
But over 200 cars came to Bader Field to watch, others went to the beach or bid on the chance to watch from OneAtlantic pier, and some even bought rooms at Caesars for the great view. Thousands more watched the live stream online.
Mike Lopez, known as local blogger AC Mike, was among those viewing from OneAtlantic, who bid as part of a charity event for some of the best viewing seats.
“Just blown away, so exciting to watch it go down and be a part of it,” he said minutes after the implosion. “Our skyline has changed forever. It’s not what it was. Hopefully it gets better.”
People parked their cars at Bader Field to watch the Trump Plaza implosion on Feb. 17, 2020.Joe Warner
Erica Brotschol and Jorge Navarro of Old Bridge decided to watch at One Atlantic as a way to celebrate Navarro’s 40th birthday. The partners visited Atlantic City a lot before the pandemic, but since then they don’t even go out for groceries, so today was a big deal, Brotschol said.
“Why not watch a building explode on your birthday?”
Also at One Atlantic was self-described implosion enthusiast Lou Woloszyn of Philadelphia. He came in costume for the event, wearing a red jumpsuit and hard hat with a clock face and mock dynamite sticks on his chest.
Lou Woloszyn, of Philadelphia, dressed up for the Trump Plaza implosion.Katie Kausch
“This outfit came to be in 1994,” he said, the year he watched the old Sears Building in Philadelphia implode. “It was a bad Halloween costume idea.”
The 60-year-old has made a hobby of watching buildings demolished this way since he was 33, along with his partner, Nanette Steffenhagen.
They’ve seen a dozen implode and Steffenhagen said casinos and stadiums are the most fun to watch, as opposed to old government or residential buildings.
Bob Cook, 34, of Lakewood said he grabbed a pork roll, egg and cheese sandwich and drove down for the fun. He slugged a Miller Lite while tailgating with a few friends by a pickup truck at Bader Field. In a normal winter, they’d be out tailgating for Giants games, but this would have to do this year.
“This is going to be in the top five things I’ve done since the start of COVID,” he said.
People stand at Bader Field to watch the Trump Plaza implosion on Feb. 17, 2020.Joe Warner
While many said their feelings about Trump didn’t have much to do with their interest in seeing the building implode, that wasn’t the case for everyone.
“I’m glad to see it go. Anything that’s got his name on it has to go,” said Gina Wasik.
At Bader Field, onlookers stood around at the water’s edge in the cold as they waited for the scheduled 9 a.m. implosion, afraid to look away and miss it.
Junior Rivera, 56, Vineland, said he used to work as a security guard at Trump Plaza from 1989 to 2006.
“It was really good. I had a good time,” he said from Bader Field. “I’m gonna miss it.”
Trump Plaza was the tenth casino to open in Atlantic City when it welcomed gamblers in May of 1984, seven years after the legalization of gambling in 1977. Trump, then in the early stages of his real estate career, pinned the city’s success on his building, which was his first foray into casinos. He went on to open two other casinos — Taj Mahal and Trump Marina.
Over the next three decades and multiple bankruptcy filings, Trump lost majority ownership of his properties. Trump Marina was sold in 2011, Trump Plaza closed in 2014 and Taj Mahal followed soon after.
For years, the building was vacant, passing ownership from Trump Entertainment Resorts to Icahn Enterprises in 2016. Ichan has not said what the site will eventually become.
The remaining rubble is estimated to be about eight stories high. Small said the targeted date to have it removed is June 10. “By the time the season comes it will be reduced to ground level so it won’t be as unattractive,” he said.
Small said he would like to see the property developed into something family-friendly.
“We can’t depend on casino gaming no more,” he said, adding that Atlantic City will always be a casino town but needs something else to lure in families.
Trump Plaza in Atlantic City is imploded, Wednesday morning, Feb. 17, 2021. The hotel and casino opened in 1984 and closed in 2014.Lori M. Nichols | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
Dust and debris from the Trump Plaza implosion heads toward people watching on the beach in Atlantic City, Wednesday morning, Feb. 17, 2021. The hotel and casino opened in 1984 and closed in 2014.Lori M. Nichols | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
Trump Plaza implosion in Atlantic City, N.J. Feb. 17, 2021Michael Mancuso | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
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