A.C. Playground development taps Garces, Electric Factory operator

Philadelphia developer Bart Blatstein is teaming up with two Philadelphia companies to liven up his redevelopment of The Pier Shops at Caesar's. (Check out the photo gallery for a sneak peek of the first phase.)

Blatstein, on Monday, announced that he has chosen to partner with Bonfire Entertainment and The Garces Group for the first phase of his project The Playground, his new vision of the 500,000-square-foot retailer center at 1 Atlantic Ocean Ave.

Bonfire, led by Bryan Dilworth, will be in charge of bringing in entertainment for The Playground's first-floor T Street, which will have seven music venues. The floor will take inspiration from Nashville's music row, Beale Street in Memphis, Tenn., and 6th Street in Austin, Texas.

Developer Bart Blatstein is redeveloping The Pier Shops at Caesar's to turn it into his own "Playground."

The Garces Event, led by Chef Jose Garces, will be in charge of curating the food and beverage menus for all of the venues at T Street, each with its own separate and distinct options.

T Street is one piece of the first phase of the redevelopment for The Playground, which is expected to open on June 26, a week earlier than the originally anticipated.

Here are some other changes to expect:

•     The water fountains, formerly located in the rear side of the first floor, have been removed and construction is underway on 39 N (a reference to its location on the 39th Parallel), which will feature a stage, lighting and sound. The space will accommodate larger national and regional touring acts with a space capable of accommodating more than 2,000 guests.
•     Monkey Bar, the centrally-located, high-tech bar will feature ocean views on both sides.

Bonfire owns and operates a number of venues around the region, including The Electric Factory, Underground Arts and MilkBoy Philadelphia. It books and promotes more than 1,000 concerts in the region.

Garces owns and operates 11 restaurants in Philadelphia. He recently closed his Rosa Blanca diner-restaurant and will reopen it later this fall into a café.

Blatstein’s Tower Investments completed the purchase of the Pier Shops from real estate investment firm CBRE for about $2.7 million in November. The structure was originally valued at $200 million.

Source: Philadelphia business Journal