AC Tropicana announces tenants for newest addition

John Curran

Thursday, Oct. 16, 2003 | 9:18 a.m.

ATLANTIC CITY -- For years, the persistent complaint about Atlantic City has been that it offers precious little to do once you're done playing the slots.

That dynamic is slowly changing, with the addition of the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa, a musical renaissance at renovated Boardwalk Hall and the pending completion of The Walk, a series of retail outlets being built by renowned developers Cordish Co.

It will change some more come next spring, when the Tropicana Casino and Resorts opens the doors to The Quarter, a giant new addition that will include a magic shop, a pet clothing store, an IMAX theater, a Latin-themed nightclub, a Brooks Brothers store and eight new restaurants.

Tropicana officials are betting that the non-gambling amenities in the $245 million expansion will help attract millions of East Coast residents who have never been to Atlantic City.

With five months to go before the grand opening, Tropicana officials Tuesday named the 40 tenants that will occupy the three-story retail, dining and entertainment section of The Quarter.

They include: Carmine's, a famous New York Italian restaurant, The Sound of Philadelphia nightclub and Hats in the Belfry, a hat store.

Then there's Jake's Dog House pet clothing, Houdini's Magic Shop and The Spy Store, which will sell hidden cameras, body recorders and surveillance systems.

"These were put there intentionally, to create fun things to do in the afternoon, so we don't take ourselves too seriously," said Paul Rubeli, chairman of the board of Aztar Corp., the casino's parent company.

Themed after old Havana, Cuba, where the original Tropicana stood, The Quarter will also include 502 new rooms, a 2,400-space parking garage and 45,000 square feet of new meeting space.

"We have created the most diverse and distinctive merchandising offering in the city by combining several worldwide best-of-class powerhouses with exclusive and unique specialty concepts not found anywhere else," said Dennis C. Gomes, president of resort operations for Aztar.

The Quarter will open in March.