Atlantic City council approves Atlantic Avenue revitalization contract; mayor outlines Pacific Avenue paving plans

The Atlantic City Council on Sept. 17 approved a contract for the Atlantic Avenue Corridor Revitalization and Safety Project and received a presentation from Mayor Marty Small about related paving and signal work. The council voted in favor of the contract resolution after an initial roll call; the vote was recorded as eight in the affirmative following a change of one council member's vote.

The mayor framed the work as completing remaining paving on Atlantic Avenue and said litigation and delays had previously held the project up. “This is paving the remaining, streets on the Atlantic Avenue,” Mayor Marty Small told the council. He said the project had been delayed by stakeholders’ litigation and that federal assistance and engagement by Congressman Jeff Van Drew helped release grant funds that had already been approved.

The mayor also described plans to synchronize traffic lights on Atlantic and parts of Pacific Avenue and said a limited amount of Pacific Avenue would be paved in the short term, with the possibility of additional blocks if funding and pricing allow. “About 2, maybe 4 blocks would be paved on Pacific Avenue,” he said, adding that work was planned “weather permitting” and noting curb-cut work already underway.

Council members asked procedural questions during roll call votes and moved other redevelopment and naming ordinances earlier in the meeting. The council’s vote on the Atlantic Avenue contract was announced during the agenda as moved to the front for the mayor’s presentation and subsequent vote.

Discussion versus decision: The approval of the contract is a formal action (resolution passed). The mayor’s comments about Pacific Avenue described planned and potential work — some specific (synchronization of lights; limited paving next week) and some contingent (further paving “give us a price”). Those contingent plans were presented as possibilities pending pricing and scheduling; no additional paving beyond the approved contract was adopted as a formal council action at the meeting.

Implementation: The council approved the contract to South State, Inc., for the Atlantic Avenue component. The mayor and staff said the fiber and coordination for traffic signals are part of broader efforts; implementation steps referenced include contractor mobilization, weather-dependent paving schedules and signal synchronization work.