AC Mayor Marty Small's 2025 State Of The City Address

ATLANTIC CITY - More than 700 people braved temperatures that never reached 30 degrees to attend the State Of The City Address from Atlantic City Mayor, Marty Small, Sr. on Thursday, January 23, 2025.

The mayor. delivered his 2025 ‘State of the City’ address during the Metropolitan Business & Citizens Association (MBCA) Kick-Off Forecast 2025 event, held this year at Golden Nugget Atlantic City.

The luncheon event started at noon with a presentation from Jacquelyn A. Suárez.

Suárez was named Commissioner of the Department of Community Affairs (DCA) on September 18, 2023, making her the first Hispanic commissioner to lead the DCA. 

At approximately 1:20 p.m., host Scott Cronick introduced Mayor Small. Small took the stage, backed by a chorus of singers performing "Optimistic" a song made popular by Sounds Of Blackness.

Small's theme was Be Optimistic.

Small provided some long-awaited updates as he touched on a variety of topics ranging from city-wide projects and development to clean and safe initiatives, and much more.

Bader Field and Fiscal Responsibility

Atlantic City’s ratable base is growing for the first time in ten years, a trend expected to continue as Mayor Small announced DEEM Enterprises has presented the City of Atlantic City with a signed financial commitment for its proposed $2.7 Billion redevelopment plan at Bader Field. That commitment now gets vetted by the city and the State of New Jersey. If it passes the vetting process, the city can start working with DEEM on a redevelopment agreement. Should the project move forward, the City of Atlantic City gets $100 Million for the sale of Bader Field and $15 Million for the construction of a community recreation center in Atlantic City. Mayor Small also revealed that since 2020, the City has reduced its debt by more than $194 million and saved the taxpayers $474 million by coming under budget in the Solicitor’s Office. Mayor Small assured Atlantic City taxpayers they will see a sixth straight tax decrease in 2025.

Atlantic City Aquarium and Other Projects

The Atlantic City Aquarium will reopen to the public on March 24, 2025, Mayor Small announced. Renovations to the inside and outside of the building are complete. Both the City Hall Courtyard project (Lt. Governor Sheila Y. Oliver Plaza) and Pop Lloyd Stadium renovations are expected to be complete this spring. This first of two dog parks expected to open this year in Atlantic City will open this spring at Altman Park. Paving on Baltic Avenue from Maine to Missouri Avenue and paving on MLK Boulevard from Mediterranean Avenue to Route 30 are both scheduled for this spring. The next phase of Atlantic Avenue improvements, which includes paving the stretch from Tennessee to Albany avenues should be complete by the end of the year.

Clean and Safe

Crime is down in Atlantic City, by 8.6 percent in the last year, according to the Atlantic City Police Department. Efforts to reduce crime include an increased police presence in high-crime areas as well as more officers patrolling the Boardwalk in the summer. The Police Department is also committed to increasing patrols along Atlantic and Pacific avenues, and at Renaissance Plaza. Installation is expected to be complete this year on Atlantic City’s multi-million-dollar citywide camera project. The Atlantic City Fire Department will add two new apparatus to its fleet this year – a brand-new ladder truck and a brand-new Boardwalk Mini Pumper. Including these, the Small administration has acquired eight brand-new vehicles for the Fire Department. the Department of Public Works has six brand-new Madvac vehicles serving each Atlantic City ward, plus a new sweeper, and will upgrade its snow emergency fleet this year. Public Works will also organize its fourth neighborhood Clean Communities program this summer.

Economic Growth

The City has officially launched its new website – www.greatdayatlanticcity.com – a community-driven, grant-funded initiative connecting investors, visitors and residents. The city is working with Lucky PR and Focused Studios to highlight the Small administration’s commitment to investing in the future. The website highlights longtime residents, small business owners and investors, in hopes of helping Atlantic City’s economy grow. The city’s Planning and Development department is starting a program to attract business growth along Atlantic Avenue while the City of Atlantic City is investing $500K for small and minority-owned businesses.

Homeless Outreach

The City’s Homeless Outreach team has helped more than 300 homeless individuals since last March get much needed services. The team’s Community Aides sweep the Atlantic City Boardwalk and the rest of the city on a daily basis. Atlantic City’s Community Block Grant Development Office (CDBG) is contributing $1.8 Million to mitigate homelessness in Atlantic City by 20%. The city plans to continue its Hope Work Initiative in 2025 – a program which employs homeless individuals with the city’s Public Works Department.

Please enjoy this photo gallery from Thursday's State Of The City event.

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