Borgata

Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa is a hotel, casino, and spa in Atlantic City, New Jersey owned by Marina District Development Corporation, LLC. The name means “little village” in Italian. The Borgata was built to bring high rollers back to Atlantic City. At a cost of $1.1 billion, The Borgata is a 43-story hotel with 2,002 guest rooms, 70,000 square feet (7,000 m²) of meeting space, 13 gourmet restaurants, a 50,000 square foot (5,000 m²) spa, and a 161,000 square foot (15,000 m²) gambling floor. With a profit margin of about $600,000 a day on non-gambling revenue, the Borgata’s total daily income is about $2,000,000. The Borgata has also been seen as a catalyst for recent expansions by nearby casinos and reinvigorating the Atlantic City casino industry.

History

The Borgata was part of a major project in Atlantic City nicknamed “The Tunnel Project” around 1999. When Steve Wynn had planned the new Mirage Resort in Atlantic City, he wanted to connect a $330 million 2.5-mile (4.0 km) tunnel from the Atlantic City Expressway to the new resort, named the Atlantic City-Brigantine Connector, which would funnel incoming traffic off the Atlantic City Expressway into the city’s marina district.

This caused major controversy, as it would go through a middle-class African American neighborhood. Competitor Donald Trump sued Wynn for it saying that it was a “driveway” to his new casino.

The Tunnel Project did go on, finally opening in 2001 to foot traffic. Four days later it opened to vehicular traffic. The Borgata opened on July 2, 2003 at 11:45pm. The main tower is the tallest building in South Jersey and is visible from many miles away.

In late 2005 and early 2006, the Borgata underwent a $200 million casino and retail expansion. The new wing opened in June of 2006. A $325 million hotel addition is planned for 2007.

In July 2006, the Borgata opened its new poker room — the largest in Atlantic City.