Vol. 4, No. 11, November 2007
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The Walls Come Tumbling Down
Sands passes into Atlantic City history
It’s not unusual for Las Vegas to attract thousands of people to a casino implosion. During the past 20 years, more than a dozen hotels have fallen to the expertly placed explosives.
It is, however, something new for Atlantic City. When Pinnacle Entertainment scheduled the demolition of the Sands hotel and casino for 9:30 p.m. on October 18, it attracted thousands of people to the Boardwalk and surrounding blocks to get a good vantage point for the ending of one era and the beginning of another.
Though the mood was festive, for many observers it was bittersweet. Some worked at the Sands; others had family who had worked there; still others played there and attended parties thrown by the surrounding casinos to celebrate the occasion.
Opened as the Brighton in 1980, the Sands was never one of Atlantic City’s premier properties. Its location a block away from the Boardwalk was a disadvantage to the casino. The Sands enjoyed some good times in the 1980s when the entertainment policy focused on superstars, but that period was short-lived and during most of its history, the Sands struggled.
Pinnacle Entertainment bought the Sands last year, and closed the property in November 2006. The implosion clears the way for the company’s plans of a billion-dollar-plus mega-resort, which will stretch from Pacific Avenue to the Boardwalk. Though Pinnacle has not released details of the new resort, CEO Dan Lee has stated that an upscale, “Las Vegas-style” casino will be built, with an opening scheduled for 2011 or 2012.
