Atlantic City Council approves contract for Atlantic Avenue revitalization; funding and security work to follow

Atlantic City’s council on Sept. 17 approved a contract to advance a multi-block revitalization of Atlantic Avenue, clearing the way for paving, safety improvements and a later phase of fixed surveillance cameras that officials said will tie into newly installed fiber. The council voted on resolution 6‑78 to award the contract to South State Inc. for “Atlantic City corridor revitalization and safety project, component 2, Atlantic Avenue.” The measure passed with eight votes in the affirmative after a councilmember changed an earlier vote; the council president announced the final tally as eight affirmative votes. Mayor Marty Small told the council the project will pave the remaining stretches of Atlantic Avenue and said the work had been delayed by litigation and by a hold on grant funds that has since been resolved. He said a congressional representative assisted in securing release of the grant money that will pay for the work, and he thanked council members for approving the contract. City staff and council members also discussed related work on Pacific Avenue: officials said a limited number of blocks on Pacific will be paved in the near term and that synchronization of traffic signals on Atlantic and Pacific avenues is planned. The mayor and staff cautioned that only a few blocks may be paved immediately, while additional scope would require cost estimates and further authorization. Council members and staff said the Atlantic Avenue construction is coordinated with installation of fiber and other infrastructure. Later in the meeting, officials described a separate contract award to provide fixed cameras along Atlantic Avenue that will connect to that fiber and to the police department’s surveillance center; those cameras are funded in part by a federal grant announced earlier in the process. City officials described the timeline as weather-dependent and said typical follow-up steps will include scheduling, final engineering work and coordination with utility and traffic signal contractors. No additional ordinances or fiscal appropriations were adopted at the meeting beyond the contract award and the related budget insertion items already placed on the agenda. The measures discussed at the meeting also included a contract to Mott MacDonald for Baltic Avenue drainage improvements and other infrastructure items on the consent agenda. What happens next: With the contract approved, the city will finalize construction schedules, secure any remaining permits and proceed with roadway and curb work as weather allows. Officials said fiber installation and camera placement follow the paving schedule so the surveillance equipment can use the newly installed network.