Council approves contract for Atlantic Avenue revitalization; mayor outlines related Pacific Avenue paving

Atlantic City Council voted to award a contract to South State Inc. for the Atlantic Avenue Corridor Revitalization and Safety Project component 2, and Mayor Marty Small outlined related street-paving plans and traffic-signal synchronization on Pacific Avenue. The council took the vote as part of a package of resolutions moved during the Sept. 17 meeting at City Hall.

The project award passed following a roll call that the clerk later confirmed as eight affirmative votes. Mayor Marty Small said the work will pave remaining stretches of Atlantic Avenue and thanked federal and local partners for help releasing grant funds. "This is paving the remaining streets on the Atlantic Avenue. That is extremely important," Small said. He added that litigation delayed earlier work and credited Congressman Jeff Van Drew for helping secure release of grant funding.

Why it matters: Atlantic Avenue is a principal corridor for businesses and visitors; resurfacing and safety upgrades affect traffic flow, accessibility and the schedule for related capital work. The mayor also said the administration is working to synchronize traffic signals on Pacific Avenue, and that, weather permitting, crews will pave sections next week near Mazoy and the high school bridge.

Council and staff described the award as the culmination of a long process that included litigation over the project. Council members on the dais joined the mayor in urging residents to manage expectations about the scope and schedule: Small said initial paving will cover "about 2, maybe 4 blocks" on Pacific Avenue, but he said he asked staff for a full-price estimate for repaving the entire avenue.

The council vote on the contract was taken before a mayoral presentation; the clerk announced a correction later in the meeting noting one member changed her vote so the recorded tally was eight affirmative votes. The contract award is a formal procurement step; the administration said work will proceed according to the contract and weather conditions.

The city also said the Atlantic Avenue project includes new fiber installations that will support future public-safety camera connections and other infrastructure. The council approved related ordinance and contract items on the same agenda. Further scheduling details, including start dates and detour plans, were not specified in the meeting record.

Ending: City staff said the mayor's office and the city engineer will provide project schedules and construction notices as work is scheduled to start. Council members asked staff to keep neighborhoods informed about timing and traffic impacts.