Rocco Sebastiani’s vision is reflected in the artist renderings of what the shuttered Atlantic Club building on Pacific Avenue will look like as a brand new “condo-tel” when it undergoes renovation during the next two years.
Sebastiani is president of Colosseo Atlantic City Inc., the development firm that owns the former hotel and casino in the Chelsea neighborhood. He plans to open the new “condo-tel” in 2025.
“The renderings are my design, “ Sebastiani said. “I sat many hours drawing it up myself. I spent a lot of time trying to think how to make the building look elegant and how to retain some of the original Golden Nugget look.”
The renderings released to PlayNJ by Sebastiani provide the first look into the exterior and interior renovations on the horizon for the former Atlantic Club hotel casino which closed in 2014.
Some details for Atlantic Club North and South Tower plans
Renderings show the 23-story South Tower with six condos per floor ranging in size from 1,800 square feet to 3,000 square feet.
The North Tower will be a 330-room “branded” high-end boutique hotel.
“So the project will be classified as a condo-tel, with condos on one side and a hotel on the other side,” Sebastiani said. “It’s going to take us two years to open.”
However, he is not divulging the name of the person he’s working with because he wants to keep the brand a surprise.
Sebastiani plans private elevators to take residents up to the 120 condos in the South Tower.
“There will be 360-degree panoramic views from every point in the condo. You will be able to see Atlantic City and both ends of town, east and west, north and south, with great phenomenal views,” he said.
Sebastiani noted each condo will include floor-to-ceiling glass windows, with views of the ocean and city. Condos also will include balconies with Joliette doors and glass balcony railings.
“When you open your doors, there’s a glass railing 47 inches tall,” Sebastiani said, noting he steered away from building actual balconies to sit on. “This way you don’t see people storing chairs and putting things on balconies.
Sebastiani envisions the entire South Tower from the third floor to 23rd floor with identical units.
“We did it so all the plumbing would line up. We will have full washers and dryers, a lot of amenities, and so much space,” he said.
Atlantic Club Atlantic City condo layout renderings
Sebastiani has several amenities in mind
One thing the Atlantic Club is not going to be is the 10th Atlantic City casino floor. It’s one of several former AC casinos with a deed restriction that prevents the property from offering slots and table games.
However, Sebastiani is considering several other amenities including:
- Movie theater
- Golf simulator
- Fitness center
- Yoga
- Wine cellars (if condo owners choose to have one)
Sebastiani plans also call for a “hot and cold” mailroom, one for food deliveries and the other a separate mailroom for packages.
“People get food delivered all the time and we want to have that space available,” he said.
And condos owners will be able to control most functions from their smartphone, he said.
“Everything is on your iPhone. You can turn on the heat, the air conditioning, or your lights before you get home,” Sebastiani said.
He said there will be heavy security. The condominiums tower and hotel will have separate entrances.
Giving the Atlantic Club an Atlantic City ‘showplace’ image
The exterior of the building will be turned into a showplace of glass windows from Pacific Avenue to the roof.
“I wanted to take advantage of all of the great views, with all of the redevelopment and new buildings in Chelsea like Stockton University,” he said.
Sebastiani obtained a construction permit from the city in September 2022 to begin recladding the building.
Looking back at Atlantic City history, it’s the former site of the original Golden Nugget Casino Hotel (owned by Steve Wynn), Bally’s Grand, The Grand and Atlantic City Hilton.
“We’ve had a really good working relationship with Atlantic City,” Sebastiani said. “And as a result, I’ve had a lot of people reaching out to see what help I need.”
Why recladding exterior is a priority
Recladding refers to replacing the external facade cladding which becomes necessary when existing cladding is deemed unsafe or begins to deteriorate.
The recladding will ensure that there’s no water leaking into the building, Sebastiani said.
“By removing the façade, it will give the envelope of the building a brand new water-tight system. No more mold, everything will be to 2023 standards, including lighting, safety and fire suppression,” Sebastiani said.
The recladding will begin as soon as bids are taken for the job, he said.
Sebastiani notes once the façade is cladded, then we can start working on the condominiums.
The exterior design shows glass cladding on all sides of the building, from the street to the roof.
“Glass windows also are included in the building’s former casino area which had no windows,” he said. “We want to open it up and let people see out and people see in,” Sebastiani said. “It will all be recladded in modern glass on the entire podium and all the public areas.”
What about Atlantic Club’s public areas?
Public areas on the street level will include modern glass with “a new face on the entire podium and all the public areas.”
Sebastiani expects the work will begin once recladding materials are outsourced.
“The lead times are a little slow right now,” he said. “We’re trying to get our hands around the materials and we’re dealing with national vendors to see who could put it together.”
Some other ideas for the public areas include:
- Restaurants
- Food and beverage areas,
- Health spa
- Banquet facilities for hotel guests
Additionally, the roof will include waterfalls, fountains, an outdoor pool and a food and beverage component.
On the beach, Sebastiani is planning cabanas and beach chairs with food and beverage service.
Next steps for making Atlantic Club vision a reality
Sebastiani said once the façade is cladded, then work can begin on the condominiums.
Sebastiani is excited about the recladding because he is a glazier who specializes in installing different glass products.
“Once our glass comes in, I’ll be down there doing some of the work,” he said.
“We will be able to reclad the tower and be able to make it brand new and go to market with realistic reasonable prices for the condos,” he said.
Sebastiani’s research showed him that during the Covid-19 pandemic, families headed to the South Jersey shore from cities like Philadelphia, Washington, D.C. and Baltimore looking for places to live near the Atlantic Ocean.
“Since covid, people have been looking for large spaces with their family coming down the shore, with their son-in-law, their daughter-in-law, the kids and grandkids,” Sebastiani said. “But there are no big spaces in the area. There hasn’t been anything built brand new in 15 years.”
Sebastiani also plans to bring in local interior designers to look at the condo drawings and hear their views on style and décor.
The project also will bring Atlantic City jobs, Sebastiani said.
“We will need a lot of interior designers, and people who are in the trades,” he said.
Sebastiani draws inspiration from South Florida
Public areas will be designed with a contemporary theme that includes “very high tech modern, LED lighting, the kind of look like in Dubai or South Florida,” he said.
Sebastiani decided to reclad the building in glass the way buildings look in Florida.
“I grew up in Miami and a lot of the Florida designs are always about looking out at the ocean because it’s too pretty not to do so,” he said. “Growing up in Florida gave me inspiration, just to be able to enjoy the outside. If you come here to go to the beach why come here and not be able to look out the window?
“We want people to see all 360 degrees of Atlantic City. Everything is brand new. Really, this is my vision of what I really wanted.”
