The work should be completed by next May 19. About half of that had been placed as of Friday. Ryan Burch, the casino's vice president of hotel operations, said the project will dump 12,810 tons of sand on the beach. Veteran Atlantic City casino executives said they can not recall a casino paying to widen its own beach using its own money. But most are content to wait for the next round of government-paid projects, in which the cost is shared by the federal, state and local governments.

Army Corps of Engineers, said it is unusual but not unheard-of for private parties to carry out their own beach replenishment projects. Stephen Rochette, a spokesman for the U.S. So the casino set about securing the many state and federal permits necessary to do the work on its own. It's like, ‘Come to an unbelievable $2.5 billion resort and not have a beach.’ We just couldn't have that,” he said. “That would be a horrible guest experience. Chronic erosion near the casino has reduced the beach to just 5 to 8 feet (1.5 to 2.4 meters) wide in places.īill Callahan, the casino's general manager, said Ocean can't wait for the next government-funded beach replenishment project, which could take another year or two.Ĭallahan and several casino officials were on their daily coffee walk one day last fall when they looked out the window - and saw very little sand between the Boardwalk and the ocean.Ĭallahan feared there soon would be no beach.

The Ocean Casino Resort began the work Wednesday, and plans to have a new 110-foot-wide beach open for Memorial Day weekend. One Atlantic City casino that takes its name from the sea doesn't want to find out, and so it's spending up to $700,000 of its own money to rebuild a badly eroded beach in front of it.

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