Malls · New Jersey
Playground Pier
Reinhabited in 2024.
Status nowOperatingextracted, unreviewed
What it becameentertainmentextracted, unreviewed
Site size550,000 sq ft GLAextracted, unreviewed
Retrofit year2024extracted, unreviewed
Walkability11.7 of 20 · 15-minute 6 of 6EPA, OpenStreetMap
Rail within 800 mNo · Opportunity ZoneOpenStreetMap, HUD
Ask who owns this Download dossier (PDF) · early access Download record (JSON) API Share LinkedIn Correct this recordhttps://retrofitatlas.org/malls/nj/atlantic-city-playground-pier/
Solid = from the authors' map · outlined = public source · dashed = model-written, not yet reviewed by a person. Tap any value's source label to see where it came from.
Site profile11 elements · what this retrofit is built with · tap a chip for the evidence
Place
15-minute neighbourhood (5+ of 6 daily needs within 800 m)
This site: 6/6 openstreetmap · all sites with thisCounty lost 10%+ of retail establishments since 2012
This site: -20% census-cbp · all sites with thisCounty typical rent $2,000+
This site: $2,049/mo zillow · all sites with thisGrocery within 800 m
This site: 10 stores openstreetmap · all sites with thisHigh social vulnerability tract (SVI ≥ 0.75)
This site: 0.98 cdc-svi · all sites with thisLower-income tract (< $50k)
This site: $41,228 census-acs · all sites with thisNational Register place within 500 m
This site: Shelburne Hotel nps-nrhp · all sites with thisOpportunity Zone
This site: 34001002300 hud-oz · all sites with thisRenter-majority tract
This site: 73% census-acs · all sites with thisStrategy
Reinhabited
This site: …film production studio, music incubator, and entertainment venue extraction · all sites with thisNew use
Entertainment and sports
This site: …film production studio, music incubator, and entertainment venue extraction · all sites with thisNow
| Status | Operatingextracted, unreviewed |
|---|---|
| Strategy | Reinhabitedextracted, unreviewed |
| New uses | entertainmentextracted, unreviewed |
| What is there now | film production studio, music incubator, and entertainment venueextracted, unreviewed |
| Retrofit year | 2024extracted, unreviewed |
Site context
| FEMA flood zone | no NFHL polygon at point (unmapped or outside coverage)FEMA NFHL |
|---|---|
| EPA-regulated facilities within 500 m | 12: ACM ENERGY PARTNERS LLC (FKA: THERMAL ENERGY - MIDTWN THRML ; ACUITY SPECIALTY HOSPITAL OF NEW JERSEY; ATLANTIC CITY CONV CNTR AUTH/BOARDWALK HALL; ATLANTIC CITY CONVENTION HALL; ATLANTIC CITY CONVENTION HALLEPA FRS |
| Census tract 34001002300 | 2,556 people, 9,336 per sq mi; median household income $41,228; median gross rent $1,340; 73% renters; 25.7% vacant units; 17.9% commute by transitACS 2023 5-year |
| Walkability (EPA, block group) | index 11.7 of 20; 111 intersections per sq mi; nearest transit stop 322 m; land-use mix 0.27; 31,208 jobs within 45 min by car, 34,073 by transit; 72% of households without a carEPA Smart Location |
| Within a 10–15 minute walk (800 m) | 6 of 6 daily needs: 10 grocers, 2 schools, 10 parks or playgrounds, 2 health, 5 civic, 73 food and drink; 0 cycleway segments, 7 sidewalk-tagged segmentsOpenStreetMap |
| Opportunity Zone | yes, tract 34001002300 (rural)HUD |
| National Register places within 500 m | 1: Shelburne HotelNPS |
| Housing permits, Atlantic County (NJ), 2024 | 248 units in 5+ unit buildings, 16 in 2–4, 383 single-family; 2023: 40 in 5+Census BPS |
| Social vulnerability (CDC SVI 2022, tract) | overall percentile 0.98; socioeconomic 1.00; housing and transport 0.62; 58% below 150% of poverty; 48% of households with no vehicleCDC/ATSDR |
| Other atlas sites nearby | 0 within 10 km, 1 within 25 kmcomputed |
| Overture Maps | no place match; building footprint 16,142 m², 7.725424289703369 mOverture (CDLA-Permissive 2.0) |
| Attention: Wikipedia page views | 17,309 since 2015; 6,154 in the last 12 months (+16% vs the prior 12); peak 2026-03 with 831Wikimedia |
| Tract change 2013–2023 | population -6% (2,733 → 2,556); median income +12% ($36,743 → $41,228); renters 58% → 73%; median home value -17% ($174,300 → $144,400)Census ACS 5-year |
| Tax-credit housing within 1 km | noneHUD LIHTC |
| Retail trade in the county, 2012 to 2023 | 986 establishments (-20%); 15,703 jobs (-2%)Census CBP |
| Housing market in the county | typical home value $383,102 (+4% 1 yr, +43% 5 yr); typical rent $2,049/mo (+7% 1 yr), 2026-09Zillow Research |
| Traffic on the busiest road within 600 m (2024) | 29,529 vehicles a day on S ARKANSAS AVE (principal arterial, 4 lanes); 1,242 trucks; 20 counted segmentsFHWA HPMS |
Summary, model-written
Originally built in the early twentieth century as a pier with attractions and shopping experiences, the site operated as a mall. In 2024 it was reopened as a film production studio, music incubator, and entertainment venue. The retrofit leveraged South Jersey film tax credits to attract productions.
Why. not stated in the record
Where it stands. The pier is currently operating as an entertainment venue; the controlling owner or entity is not specified in the record.
For a planner
- The record describes a reinhabit strategy converting the former mall to entertainment use.
- No specific policy tools, incentives, or public programs are detailed in the record.
- Open questions regarding long-term operational sustainability and integration with the boardwalk are not addressed in the record.
For a developer
- Site size: 550,000 sq ft GLA.
- Ownership or controlling entity is not identified in the record.
- Entitlement stage and any context‑layer constraints (flood, transit, environment) are not provided.
- Market‑signal data from the surrounding tract are absent from the record.
What we do not know yet
- Owner/developer identity and control structure are not specified.
- Financial details, debt, or funding sources for the retrofit are missing.
- Anchor tenant history, competition, or reasons for prior mall decline are not stated.
- Context‑layer information (flood zone, transit access, environmental constraints) is absent.
- The record is marked as ‘draft’ verified, indicating possible unreviewed or model‑extracted data.
Generated by nvidia/nemotron-3-super-120b-a12b on NVIDIA API via Hermes CT from the fields, parcels, deals and context layers on this page, with no outside knowledge. It is regenerated when the record changes and has not been checked by a person. How it is made.
Similar sites
- Shore Mall, Egg Harbor Township, NJ · Malls · similar GLA (620,000 sq ft); same strategy: reinhabit; also in NJ
- Dedham Mall, Dedham, MA · Malls · similar GLA (575,000 sq ft); same strategy: reinhabit
- Seaway Mall, Welland · Malls · similar GLA (500,000 sq ft); same strategy: reinhabit
- Lexington Mall, Lexington, KY · Malls · similar GLA (508,000 sq ft); same strategy: reinhabit
Elsewhere on the web
Pages with photos
- Former Apple Store; Playground Pier Shops; Atlantic City NJ commons.wikimedia.org
- The super dead Playground Pier Mall attached to Caesars Casino in ... reddit.com
- View from the Playground Pier at Caesars Atlantic City - YouTube youtube.com
Search images: Google · Bing · Commons · references: ULI case studies · Google Scholar
Multifamily screen
- retrofit already built
- 550,000 sq ft GLA (large site)
Inputs: record fields (size, status) and county Census ACS 2018–2023 figures (growth, rent). How the points work. Not a recommendation.
History and original facts
| Gross leasable area | 550,000 sq ftextracted, unreviewed |
|---|---|
| County | Atlantic County |
| Census division | 2 · Mid-Atlantic |
| Notes | Wikipedia categories: Defunct shopping malls in the United States |
Not yet recorded: acres, year opened, original developer. Know it? Tell us.
Background
ACX1 Studios is a four-story 550,000-square-foot multi-use facility on a beach pier on the boardwalk in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The pier has hosted a variety of attractions and shopping experiences since it was first built in the early twentieth century. The pier reopened as a film production studio, music incubator, and entertainment venue in 2024 to host film shoots attracted to the robust South Jersey-specific film tax credits.
Excerpt from Wikipedia (authors and history), CC BY-SA 4.0. May be older than the record above.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Playground Pier · supports: after notes, gla sqft, status, strategy
5 quoted sentences
ACX1 Studios is a four-story 550,000-square-foot multi-use facility
The pier reopened as a film production studio, music incubator, and entertainment venue in 2024
The pier reopened as a film production studio, music incubator, and entertainment venue in 2024
The pier reopened as a film production studio, music incubator, and entertainment venue in 2024
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