Trump Plaza was demolished yesterday as spectators watched and cheered, but why was it knocked it down?
Back in the 80s, Donald Trump gained celebrity status as a real-estate developer. He opened a series of very successful hotels and casinos across America, one of the most popular being Trump Plaza in Atlantic City.
This week, the once iconic hotel was purposely demolished using dynamite, and people surrounded the site to watch the former-President’s once successful hotel be reduced to rubble.
So why was Trump Plaza demolished?
Trump Plaza was demolished this week
At 9am on Wednesday (February 17th), Donald Trump’s Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City was demolished.
Around 3,000 sticks of dynamite were used to knock the 34-story building to the ground in just 20-seconds.
Spectators watched and cheered as the building was knocked to the ground.
It was initially supposed to be demolished on January 29th, and the city had planned to auction off the chance to blow up the building to the highest bidder. However, this never happened.
Why was Trump Plaza demolished?
First opening in 1984, Trump Plaza was hugely popular, and it often hosted parties for big celebrities. However, its success was not to last, and it soon became bankrupt.
In 2009, Donald Trump cut ties with the failing hotel altogether and it finally closed its doors for good in 2014 after having a reputation as the worst-performing casino in the whole of Atlantic City.
For the past seven years, it has been an empty building that was falling to bits and in a state of disrepair, so the decision was made in 2021 to demolish it.
What will replace Trump Plaza?
In December 2018, businessman Carl Icahn, who has an estimated net worth of $14.6 billion, bought the deed to the land that Trump Plaza sits on.
That means that Carl now owns the land, however, he has not yet released plans for what will replace Trump Plaza.