Is Another Reopening Date Passing for AC Aquarium?

A post on Facebook this week reminded me that the Atlantic City Aquarium's latest planned reopening date is...right about now.

It's expected to fully reopen "sometime in December," Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small said during a new conference in late September.

Unless there is a dramatic, surprise reopening in the next week or so, it seems likely that the city will miss another reopening deadline.

The woman who posted the message said this was about the 6th time the reopening has been postponed. I think she may have have missed a couple of bogus reopening dates.

The Atlantic City Aquarium Closed in March 2020

The Atlantic City Aquarium first closed because of COVID-19 in March 2020.

Then, on May 13, 2020,  the aquarium wrote on Facebook, " We miss you, look forward to seeing you all soon".

The renovations had begun.

Later, the aquarium posted on Facebook that it would be " tentatively reopening Fall 2023", but that didn't happen.

The city blamed supply chain and funding issues and, later, the expansion of the scope of the job.

What Work Has Been Happening at the Aquarium?

In a previous statement, Atlantic City spokesman Andrew Kramer said that the aquarium got new roofing, windows, lighting, and flooring, a new deck and ceiling for the top-level lookout, bathroom renovations, and updates to its electrical, plumbing, and HVAC systems, and a fresh paint job.

Then there was a lengthy delay to complete work on the exterior of the Aquarium building.

No exterior building or siding improvements were included in the original project and that work was added with money from American Rescue Plan funds.

Then, work on the seawall bathroom attached to the Aquarium, which has been closed for several years, was added to the project.

And the delays continued.

The AC Aquarium Has Been Closed Almost 5 Years

Here's what I know. In March 2025, it will be five years since the Atlantic City Aquarium has been open. Five years.

Did Mayor Small think we would forget about all the other bogus reopening dates he has floated over the years?

Don't you think at some point you would stop giving estimated reopening dates if you obviously have no interest in keeping them?