A high-speed ferry could run from New York City to Atlantic City next summer
The ferry would cost $145 roundtrip and take 2 1/2 hours. Promoters said the interest from Seastreak is a sign A.C. may be leveling up.
ATLANTIC CITY — Will New Yorkers on Wall Street be hopping on a high-speed ferry next summer for some beach and casino time in Atlantic City?
Promoters of the proposed Intercoastal Motorcar & Yacht Club, a $4 billion luxury development in Bader Field, say there’s interest for such a service from Seastreak Ferries.
Seastreak currently runs ferries between New York City and Atlantic Highlands, a Shore destination in Monmouth County.
The proposed A.C. trip would take 2 1/2 hours and cost $145 round trip, said Tommy Carr, a partner in Deem Development. The ferry would come into the Farley State Marina near the Golden Nugget casino.
Deem has an agreement with the city of Atlantic City to build its ambitious “car-centric” development on the city’s old municipal air field on Albany Avenue. Under the agreement, the city would sell the site for $100 million. Deem would contribute $15 million to a community center. Carr says the company has secured the financing it needs.
“We’re trying to help develop Atlantic City,” said Carr, who has convened several meetings with stakeholders to drum up interest, and talked it up with N.J. Governor Mikie Sherrill at a recent gathering at the governor’s residence, Drumthwacket. “We need tourists. We need families to start coming down and buying properties.”
Sherrill recently told the Press of Atlantic City that Bader Field was a “huge opportunity,” but that she still had questions.
Atlantic City has recently seen renewed interest from developers of higher-end residential homes, including the Kushner Company, Brian Zoubek, and K. Hovnanian. As real estate prices along the Jersey Shore skyrocket, A.C. is increasingly being seen as one of the last places along the Jersey Shore with affordable oceanfront property.
What could a high-speed ferry ride look like?
At Seastreak, owner James Barker said in an interview that the company had two 600-person ferries, the Courageous and the Commodore, that could make the ocean voyage. Should it be successful, there are higher-speed ferries that could cut the trip to two hours.
Barker cautioned that the company was still in the exploratory phrase.
“It’s a feasibility question,” Barker said. “Do we have boats that will be available in peak season? We’re excited about the opportunity. We’re still trying to understand what the Atlantic City opportunity looks like. The Commodore and the Courageous, those are our work horses, some of the best commuter boats in the country.”
Based in Atlantic Highlands, N.J., Seastreak also operates ferries from New York City to Martha’s Vineyard and then on to Nantucket.
Should the company bring those boats on an Atlantic City run, Barker said, the travelers would find a lot to like.
“Those boats are comfortable,” he said. “There’s Wi-Fi and a bar. They can do their last Zoom call of the day, and no one has to know they’re on a boat.”
In peak season, he said, Seastreak is running 19 round trips between Atlantic Highlands and New York City.
Carr said another company, Connecticut-based Tradewind Aviation, is looking at expanding charter air service to Atlantic City. The company operates a fleet of 40 small jets out of smaller regional airports like Teterboro.
Atlantic City’s International Airport has been wanting for business since Spirit Airlines shut down in May. Currently, two commercial airlines, Breeze and Allegiant, operate limited flights to destinations in Florida and Myrtle Beach.
As for the Bader Field development, a “motor-centric” project long in the planning stages, both Carr and A.C. Mayor Marty Small Sr. said approvals from the state Department of Environmental Protection are all that stands in the way of a ground breaking.
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What could the Bader project entail?
The project promises a “holistic, sustainable, redevelopment,” of Bader Field with a renewable energy microgrid and a 2.44-mile members-only driving circuit designed for members to race their luxury cars recreationally. (It is not being built as a Formula One race venue.)
The developers say they will transform the old air field’s runways into public bike paths and a boardwalk, with access for water recreation, and to build a car museum and other retail.
The 1,237 residences will range from market-rate townhouses to multimillion-dollar luxury waterfront condos with terraces.
Carr says the project has already drawn interest from athletes, celebrities, and even a Middle Eastern prince, all with luxury-car collections.
While the ferry service could come as soon as Memorial Day weekend, the Intercoastal project is at least five years from completion, Carr said.
Carr thinks Atlantic City’s luxury moment has come, despite headwinds from casinos in New York City that some believe might lead to the closure of some casinos.
A developer in Asbury Park, Carr says he’s seen the transformation of that city and Long Branch.
“In five years, you’re not even going to know Atlantic City,” he said. “I have seen it with Long Branch. I have seen it with Asbury Park. People are investing in Atlantic City.”
