In the shadows of Atlantic City’s casino lights and resort glamour lies a stretch of the Black Horse Pike known as West Atlantic City. It’s no secret that area is in need of a revival. While an immediate turnaround is impossible, the Matzel & Mumford Organization has stepped up to take the first stride toward redeveloping this area of Egg Harbor Township.

“We recognized this as a great place to develop. It’s an area with a peaceful setting just minutes from a host of world-class restaurants, shops and exciting nightlife, as well as some of the state’s most celebrated beaches,” says Glenn Ward, vice president of sales and marketing for Matzel & Mumford.

As of early last month, mounds of fresh dirt, bulldozers and machinery encompass the 12.5 acres on the Black Horse Pike, across the highway from the motels that line the entrance into the city. As thousands of residents and visitors drive past the land each day, it’s apparent the project is a large advancement for the area’s future.

The development, called Bayport on Lake’s Bay, will consist of 131 new luxury townhomes. Each three-story house will contain two bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms and a single-car garage. Capitalizing on the waterfront views, the development has the master bedroom of each unit facing toward the bay. In addition to providing much-needed area housing, the project is a triple treat by cleaning up the environment and partnering with land preservation enthusiasts.

“Just three miles from the famed Atlantic City Boardwalk, passesrby have been completely unaware of this location’s magnificent vistas, protected conservation area and access to one of the country’s top 10 sites for wind and kite surfing,” says Ward.

The 24 acres of open space situated adjacent to the Bayport site has been attracting illegal dumping of construction debris. However, Matzel & Mumford paired with the township and volunteers to clean up the area and restore it to its former glory. During a cleanup day in late May, 5.5 tons of debris and trash were removed from the area, which has since been fenced off and is under the watchful eye of the Lakes Bay Recreation Association. A small beach area was created, and it is now a true public amenity for wind surfing, kite boarding, canoeing and kayaking.

In addition to the townhouses and cleaning up the environmentally protected area on Lake’s Bay, a second construction project just down the road, next to the Hampton Inn, also is under way to create a four-story, Spanish-style condominium-hotel complex. According to Deputy Mayor Stanley Glassey, renovations to upgrade or possibly rebuild the Red Roof Inn also are in the works.

As for the opposite side of the highway, West Atlantic City is planning a major cleanup of its downtrodden motels, from the Garden State gas station toward Atlantic City where the former Old Logg restaurant stood.

“We visualize this area will be a big boom area in Egg Harbor Township and will probably all tie in on the north side of the boulevard from Bader Field to Pleasantville,” says Glassey.

“The township is dotting the I’s and crossing the T’s and doing everything perfectly so the area can be redeveloped. This is the impetus for good things to happen.”

The north side, draped with motels, was recently declared a blighted area. The township hopes to accept development bids on the land by the end of 2007 for the commercial-zoned area. While talks of office buildings, restaurants (Bennigan’s or IHOP), stores and even potential rehearsal space for casino shows have been floating around, no formal announcements have been made for the tract of land.

As a first step in reviving West Atlantic City, Bayport on Lake’s Bay plans to have the first set of townhouses, pool and clubhouses completed and ready for move-in by May 2008. In the meantime, as the development of Matzel & Mumford townhouses continues to take shape, the area is on its way to becoming a gem just outside the city.

“West Atlantic City is now the most unused entranceway to Atlantic City, and with these advancements this is going to be an ideal spot,” concludes Glassey.

By Beth Joseph

Beth Joseph is associate editor of Casino Connection magazine.

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