The former Atlantic City Boardwalk casino bearing former President Donald Trump's name was imploded on Wednesday (February 17) morning.
The former Trump Plaza casino was reduced to rubble after a series of loud explosions led to its collapse, leaving a giant cloud of dust enveloping the Atlantic City beach and boardwalk. The implosion took less than 20 seconds, according to the Associated Press.
“I got chills,” Mayor Marty Small said via the AP. “This is a historic moment. It was exciting.”
Small estimates the implosion left about eight stories of rubble, which is expected to be removed by June 10. Some of the debris could be used by environmentalists aiming to build an artificial fishing reef off the coast of Atlantic City, according to the AP.
The removal of the once popular venue, which served as the jewel of Trump's casino empire, creates a prime development opportunity for the middle of the Boardwalk, which was previously marketed as "Atlantic City's centerpiece."
“The way we put Trump Plaza and the city of Atlantic City on the map for the whole world was really incredible,” said Bernie Dillon, who worked as the casino's events manager from 1984 to 1991. “Everyone from Hulk Hogan to Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, it was the whole gamut of personalities. One night before a Tyson fight I stopped dead in my tracks and looked about four rows in as the place was filling up, and there were two guys leaning in close and having a private conversation: Jack Nicholson and Warren Beatty.”
“It was like that a lot: You had Madonna and Sean Penn walking in, Barbra Streisand and Don Johnson, Muhammad Ali would be there, Oprah sitting with Donald ringside,” he recalled. “It was a special time. I’m sorry to see it go.”
The building is currently owned by billionaire Carl Icahn, who acquired it and the other remaining Trump casinos built by the former president from the last of their many bankruptcies.
Mayor Small proposed using the building's demolition as a fundraiser for the Boys And Girls Club of Atlantic City, having already started an auction for the right to press the button to start the implosion, which raised $175,000
However, Icahn, a donor and former special economic adviser to Trump, objected on safety and liability issues, leading to the auction house to halt the bids. The billionaire claims he will replace the total $175,000 raised during the auction with his own money.
Trump Plaza was opened in 1984 when the former president worked as a real estate developer and was, at a time, the most successful casino in Atlantic City, hosting mega-events including a Mike Tyson boxing match and Rolling Stones concert.
But revenue decreased after Trump opened the nearby Trump Taj Mahal in 1990, with the company pouring debt loads and cash into the new complex.
The Trump Taj Mahal, which was also acquired by Icahn in 2016, has since reopened under new ownership as the Hard Rock.
Photo: Getty Images