Revel Bidder Wants to Put a University “for Geniuses” Next to the Casino

Atlantic City would host a university with "some of the smartest people in the world."

Photo | Dan McQuade

Photo | Dan McQuade

We told you last week about Florida builder Glenn Straub’s $90 million bid for Revel and his comment about blowing it up if it doesn’t work.

Now comes more word on his vision for the shuttered, $2.4 billion casino in Atlantic City. Straub plans to build a second, 30-25 story tower next to Revel that would host “some of the smartest people in the world.”

“The university’s going to go in,” Straub told the Press of Atlantic City. “It’s going to be for geniuses.” Straub says his university will work on solving pressing global issues like nuclear waste disposal. He also told the Press of high-speed ferry and rail plans and an “underground passageway” for Atlantic City in the winter.

Straub is the only bidder for Revel, as revealed at a hearing on Monday. The “scrappy polo-obsessed real estate developer” (the Press’s words) has purchased several distressed properties before, including the Miami Arena (which he actually did knock down) and the country club Tesoro. He picked up Tesoro for $10.9 million; it cost about $180 million to develop.

[Press of Atlantic City]