Atlantic City approves South State contract to complete Atlantic Avenue revitalization

Atlantic City Council voted to award a contract to South State Inc. to complete the Atlantic Avenue corridor revitalization project component for Atlantic Avenue, council records and the meeting transcript show.

The contract award was approved by council vote during the Sept. 17 meeting after a motion and recorded roll call; the tally was initially reported as seven in the affirmative and one negative, and later amended when Councilwoman Dunston changed her vote so the final vote was recorded as eight in the affirmative, according to the meeting clerk’s announcement.

Mayor Marty Small addressed the council immediately after the vote, saying the project will “pave the remaining streets on the Atlantic Avenue.” He told council members the work had been delayed by litigation and subsequent negotiations, and he credited a federal representative with helping release grant funds: “I had to give kudos to Congressman Jeff Andrew who helped get the money released,” the mayor said during his remarks.

The mayor described work beyond paving: curb repairs were underway in places and, weather permitting, paving would continue to Mazoy and toward other frontage areas. He also said the administration is pursuing synchronization of certain traffic signals on Pacific Avenue and noted a limited scope for that work: “About 2, maybe 4 blocks would be paved on Pacific Avenue,” he said.

Why it matters: finishing Atlantic Avenue is part of a federally funded corridor revitalization and safety effort. The contract award moves construction forward after litigation and funding-release steps, and the signal work on Pacific Avenue is intended to improve traffic flow around parts of the downtown corridor.

What the council approved: the resolution on the agenda identified the contract award to South State Inc. for Atlantic Avenue work (agenda item presented as Resolution 678). The meeting minutes show the council took a formal recorded vote to adopt the resolution and then heard the mayor’s presentation on project timing and adjacent signal work.

Details and limitations: the mayor said portions of the Atlantic Avenue work had been delayed after stakeholders filed suit, and that release of grant funds required federal-level assistance; he also described the Pacific Avenue work as limited to a small number of blocks and said the administration had asked contractors for a price to pave the “entire avenue.” The transcript does not give a final project completion date or a total contract dollar amount on the public record at the meeting.

Officials and next steps: the council’s action authorizes the contract award; the mayor’s office said paving and related curb-cut work would proceed when weather permits. No additional council direction or binding schedule was adopted on the council floor during the presentation.

For readers: the council’s formal resolution number (listed on the agenda as Resolution 678) is the governing authorization for the contract award; details such as contract amount, timeline and construction staging were not listed in the council’s public remarks and will require review of the executed contract or administration documents for full particulars.