Tropicana Reopens Its West Tower
- Press of Atlantic City
ATLANTIC CITY – A week after Tropicana’s garage collapse, the casino’s600-room West Tower and one parking lot reopened to the public at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, a few hours after the last victim of the fatal incident was laid to rest.
Family members of Michael Wittland, a 53-year-old ironworker who died with three other construction workers when five floors of the partly constructed 2,400-space, 10-story parking garage gave way last Thursday, celebrated his life during a morning funeral service in Pleasantville.
Only two of the 20 other construction workers injured in the disaster remained hospitalized Thursday, and neither victim was in critical condition, an Atlantic City Medical Center spokeswoman said.
In the meantime, demolition work continues on the main debris wall attached to the collapsed portion the garage, although work was slowed by Thursday’s rain, authorities said.
Sgt. Michael Tullio said police will continue to maintain a presence at the site and the city still is in a state of emergency.
The Tropicana Casino and Resort’s pedestrian bridge and the casino’s other 9S0-space garage still are closed, a casino spokeswoman said.
With the opening of the West Tower, all of the casino hotel’s 1,62S rooms and suites are now open to guests.