Now that New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has declared his willingness to discuss casino expansion outside of Atlantic City, a Massachusetts-based venture capitalist is looking to get in on the game with a $4.6 billion resort and casino proposal in Jersey City.
Paul Fireman of Fireman Capital Partners has been keeping contact with various state politicians to discuss the possibility of having his proposal heard.
According to the Star-Ledger, Fireman already has an audience of influential lawmakers who are intrigued by his lavish plans for Jersey City, including the city’s mayor, Steve Fulop.
Fireman’s proposal includes a 95-storey casino and hotel and will sit across the Hudson from New York’s new One World Trade Center. The proposal also includes residential projects, convention centers, a massive 107,500-seat motor sports stadium and the world’s largest Ferris wheel.
Along with the massive tourist potential, the project expects to create as many as 25,000 new employment opportunities for residents of Jersey City and other neighboring locales along the Turnpike.
The project has the ears of some influential lawmakers, including state Senators Jim Whelan and Ray Lezniak. “I’m sure there are a lot of people who will take me to task for daring to even consider casinos outside of Atlantic City,” Whelan told the Star-Ledger. “I’d love to be wrong but I think that’s the reality of where we are.”
Even Lesniak, a longtime champion of gambling in New Jersey, seems to be impressed by Fireman’s proposal, saying it had the wow factor that can blow away Macau as a destination place for gaming.
All this talk is still contingent on Chris Christie relenting on allowing casinos outside Atlantic City. With the once lavish gambling town continuing its precipitous decline, Christie is coming to grips with the growing belief that Atlantic City isn’t getting better anytime soon.
