Hard Rock Announces $375 Million Plans for Trump Taj Mahal

The old Trump Taj Mahal will have a decidedly new look come the summer of 2018 when it re-opens as the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Atlantic City.

Gone will be the domes and all vestiges of Indian culture, as well as the Trump name that has become synonymous with buffoonery since Donald fibbed his way into the highest office in the land. That point is certainly debatable - many would say that Trump was a buffoon long before his presidency began.

Bada Bing

The Hard Rock will continue its theme of displaying rock n’ roll memorabilia at its new casino in Atlantic City, with an emphasis on guitars. The owners, the Seminole Indian tribe based in Florida, plan to utilize one of New Jersey's native sons and a well-known guitarist for promotional purposes.

Steven Van Zandt, the bandana-wearing guitar player of Bruce Springsteen's E Street band and the right hand man of New Jersey mob boss Tony Soprano on the popular HBO series “The Sopranos,” will shill for the casino. Van Zandt aims to organize concerts on the beach for Hard Rock, as well as broadcast “Little Steven’s Underground Garage” – his radio show - from the casino from time to time.

“It’s a timeless place where you can come, and for the younger generations that feel like they missed the rock ‘n’ roll era when it first came along, we make sure that they get the experience,” Van Zandt told Skift.com.

Committed to Growth

The Seminole tribe purchased the Trump Taj Mahal from Carl Icahn last month. The billionaire investor closed it in October due to a labor dispute over health insurance and pension benefits with Unite Here Local 54.

More than 1,000 construction workers will bring their lunch pails to the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Atlantic City until the re-opening in about 15 months. Another 3,000 new jobs within the casino will be permanent, the Press of Atlantic City reported.

“Our commitment to Atlantic City has never been stronger and we look forward to being a catalyst for further growth and development of the area,” said Hard Rock International chairman Jim Allen.