Council approves contract for Atlantic Avenue corridor revitalization; mayor says litigation delayed work

The Atlantic City Council voted to award a contract to South State Inc. for the Atlantic Avenue corridor revitalization and safety project, Component 2, advancing planned paving and safety work on Atlantic Avenue. Mayor Marty Small, who spoke to the council after the vote, said litigation and delays in releasing grant money had kept the project from moving forward on the original schedule. “This is paving the remaining streets on Atlantic Avenue,” Mayor Marty Small said, noting stakeholders had sued and that the city later negotiated a compromise. He also told council members that federal partners and a congressional office helped free grant funding needed to proceed. The contract award was presented as Resolution 678 and was approved on the record. The vote was recorded after a member changed her earlier vote; the mayor and council then moved into the mayor’s presentation. Why it matters: Atlantic Avenue is a major thoroughfare in the city. Paving and coordinated safety work are part of a multi-block revitalization effort that council leaders and the mayor say will improve traffic flow and pedestrian conditions, and — where possible — synchronize traffic signals on adjacent streets. Details: Mayor Small described several related items that will roll with or follow the Atlantic Avenue work: synchronization of some Pacific Avenue signals, curb-cut and accessibility work, and planned paving on Pacific Avenue for limited segments. He said the project had been delayed by litigation brought by stakeholders, and that congressional assistance helped release federal grant funds. Specific contract dollar amounts and the full project budget were not specified in the public presentation. What council did and did not do: The council approved the resolution to award a contract to South State Inc.; the meeting record shows the motion and a subsequent recorded vote. No ordinance adoption or new borrowing was tied to the vote in the council discussion at the meeting; the mayor and staff provided a status update but did not present new funding figures during the session. Context and next steps: The mayor told the council the Atlantic Avenue work had been on hold for years and that the project team expects construction to proceed weather-permitting. The administration also referenced additional corridor and curb work that will follow when scheduling and funding align.