Hard Rock International is seeking proposals from architectural and engineering firms for a hotel-casino in Atlantic City, according to the Press of Atlantic City. Although the company is remaining mum on its most recent plans, Hard Rock chairman Jim Allen said in October that the project-expected to cost between $400 million and $450 million-initially calls for 200 to 300 guestrooms that would eventually expand to 500.
New Jersey governor Chris Christie has signed legislation to make casino development easier in the state’s gambling mecca. One law allows construction of two new smaller, more inexpensive Boardwalk casinos. (Previously, the minimum requirement for an Atlantic City hotel-casino was 500 rooms.) In addition, Christie has created a new state-run tourism district and revamped the state’s gaming regulations to make it cheaper for casinos to operate.
