The Atlantic City skyline
By Joshua Burd
A developer is advancing plans to redevelop Atlantic City’s Bader Field, tapping Cooper Levenson as its legal counsel for what it says will be a mixed-use destination for motorsports.
The law firm, which has deep ties to the city, said it will support DEEM Enterprises as it moves ahead with the long-awaited project at the former municipal airport. That will include providing comprehensive legal advisory services for what it described the most meaningful opportunity in generations to reimagine a long-underutilized site in the South Jersey resort town.
“The redevelopment of Bader Field represents a bold and forward-looking vision for Atlantic City,” Cooper Levenson CEO Lloyd Levenson said. “We are proud to support a project rooted in responsible development, long-term planning and close collaboration with city and state partners as this important effort moves forward. We look forward to working closely with DEEM Enterprises and public-sector partners to support a careful, collaborative process for Bader Field.”
The announcement comes three years after city officials signed a memorandum of understanding with DEEM Enterprises, setting up a due diligence period for the estimated $3.4 billion project. According to the New Jersey Casino Reinvestment Development Authority, the proposed development includes motor-oriented townhomes, duplexes, condominiums, high-rise residential towers, a hotel and a multi-level retail hub, plus amenities such as pedestrian promenades and boardwalks, an observation tower, an automotive-themed museum and plaza, an amphitheater and a club terrace overlooking the motorsports track.
The project also represents nearly a decade of planning, Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small Sr. told CRDA last summer, adding that it would provide years of construction work for local unions, generate tax revenue and additional dollars that would help fund a community recreation center. The plan, which would incorporate resilient and sustainable design methodologies, is also poised to spur economic growth by attracting new job-creating industries to the historic casino town, increasing its tax base and diversifying future businesses in the city.
“The expertise that Cooper Levenson brings is critical to navigating the complex legal and regulatory issues involved in a development of this scale, and we’re thrilled they’re a part of our team,” DEEM Enterprises CEO Michael Binder said Friday. “Lloyd Levenson and his associates are the very best of the best.”
Atlantic City: Developer, city officials sign MOU for $3 billion Bader Field redevelopment
