Atlantic City imploded a vacant building that once housed a casino owned by former President Donald Trump on Wednesday.
The demolition of the Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino’s 34-story tower took place just after 9 a.m. ET on Wednesday morning. Video from the event showed the implosion appeared to be successful.
Opened in 1984, the Plaza was Trump's first property on the famed Atlantic City Boardwalk. However, revenues from the casino began to decline as Trump purchased several other casinos throughout the 1990s.
Trump continued to operate the casino through the early 2000s, but the housing market collapse and subsequent economic recession took a huge hit on the casino business in Atlantic City. The Trump Plaza eventually closed in 2014 and has sat abandoned ever since.
In June, Carl Icahn — the senior lender for the Trump Plaza's mortgage — submitted plans to Atlantic for the casino's planned demolition. The city asked that the building be demolished because it had fallen into disrepair, and debris was falling to the boardwalk below.
Trump no longer owns any casinos in Atlantic City. The Taj Mahal sold in 2016 and has since been rebranded as a Hard Rock Casino and Hotel.
In December, Atlantic City announced plans to auction off the ability to push the button to start the demolition sequence on the casino. The Asbury Park Press reports that Icahn “shut down” the auction with a $175,000 donation to the Boys and Girls Club.
