The Atlantic City Restart and Recovery Group, an organization created by Gov. Phil Murphy’s administration last summer, published a 58-page report Wednesday defining ways for the city to bounce back from the COVID-19 pandemic — as well as from systemic issues that existed long before that.

“The recommendations in this report are bold, common sense, within reach, and necessary,” wrote co-chairs Matt Doherty of the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority (CRDA) and Christina Renna from the Chamber of Commerce of South Jersey. “It is incumbent upon policy makers to find the resources and the resolve to fully implement this plan. Otherwise, we will miss a unique opportunity for Atlantic City and fail to launch forward as we emerge from this pandemic.”

The most expensive property in the traditional Monopoly board game is a key focus, according to the report:

“The Boardwalk is, more than any other single feature, the symbol of Atlantic City to the world — it is truly iconic. It is currently in an advanced state of disrepair, and in several places could well collapse in the near future. If the meteorologists are correct in predicting future coastal storms, there is also the possibility that one of those storms could wipe out the Boardwalk in its present condition, unless it has been rebuilt, with disastrous and wide-spread negative implications for everything that we want to do to restart and recover Atlantic City.

“The engineering for rebuilding the Boardwalk is familiar, and has already been employed to a substantial degree when recent prior repairs were made. A commitment by the State and the City to rebuild the Boardwalk in the next 2-3 years would immediately shine a very bright spotlight on Atlantic City throughout the State and even the nation, with the resulting conviction in all quarters that ‘they are really ALL IN’ in the commitment to bring Atlantic City back.”

Improvements needed from Atlantic to Pacific

“The subcommittee also recommends refreshing the structures and appearances along Atlantic Avenue and Pacific Avenue. These are the two main thoroughfares in Atlantic City, and if these were given a new and refreshing look it could give a new facade to the City. This was done in Baltimore Harbor and tremendous benefits were reaped by that City.”

The good news in the report is that some improvements already are in the planning stages for Atlantic Avenue, including “modernization and upgrading of street lighting and camera coverage; new and synchronized traffic signaling; creation of bicycle and pedestrian paths; reduction of traffic lanes from 4 to 2; and a new median area with trees and seating facilities.”

Recommendations for Pacific Avenue include demolition of deteriorated buildings; a “greening” of vacant lots and parking areas; modern and creative lighting and tree planting along the street; upgrading of intersections, including crosswalks, signage, and signaling; improved lighting and street maintenance with sidewalk upgrades; and relocation of service yards and dumpsters.

Public safety also was addressed in the report.

“In addition to the crime that exists in the City, there are a multitude of factors that contribute to an unsafe feeling. These revolve around the hyper-concentration of people with social service needs — primarily in the Tourism District — for which we are failing to find long-term solutions.

“Social service programs that exist in the City (but not other municipalities or counties) attract non-residents for clean needles, shelter, and food programs. Atlantic City has become the place for others to send their most vulnerable, and the result has negatively impacted our tourism economy and added pressure to municipal services, particularly the police department and public works.”

Recommendations on that front include moving high-visibility social services out of the Tourism District; leveraging the city’s Abandoned Property Act to hold property owners accountable to maintain their vacant property; and increasing foot and bicycle patrols.

The ‘Who’s in charge here?’ problem