5:12-173.8. Moneys set aside for hotel development projects

8. a. From the moneys made available to the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority pursuant to section 3 of P.L.1984, c.218 (C.5:12-144.1), the authority shall, in such manner as it may reasonably determine, set aside $100,000,000 for investment on hotel development projects in Atlantic City undertaken by a casino licensee under the "Casino Control Act," P.L.1977, c.110 (C.5:12-1 et seq.), operating an approved hotel on the effective date of this amendatory and supplementary act, P.L.1993, c.159 (C.5:12-173.1 et al.), which result in the construction, reconstruction or rehabilitation of at least 200 hotel rooms in the City of Atlantic City. The authority shall, by regulation, adopt standards for determining the extent of construction, reconstruction or rehabilitation of hotel rooms or appurtenant facilities required in order to qualify for authority investment, which standards shall require at least that the hotel rooms be operated as part of a licensed casino facility or be first class hotel rooms located and operated in a manner consistent with an authority approved project. The authority shall require as a condition for authority investment that the hotel rooms be subject to an agreement with the authority that requires the rooms to be reserved, at certain times and under certain conditions agreeable to the authority, for convention business in connection with an authority approved project. A hotel development project may qualify for authority investment notwithstanding that it includes, incorporates, facilitates or supports an expansion of space used for the conduct of casino gaming in a casino hotel facility operated by a casino licensee. Any casino licensee which undertook a hotel development project that was approved by the authority prior to the effective date of this amendatory act, P.L.1996, c.118 (C.5:12-173.3a et al.), for an investment out of moneys set aside pursuant to this subsection a., but which investment has not been received by the casino licensee as a result of the inclusion in the project of space for use for the conduct of casino gaming, shall be entitled pursuant to this subsection a. to receive the investment previously approved by the authority. The provisions of section 30 of P.L.1984, c.218 (C.5:12-178) shall not apply to investments made out of the moneys so set aside.

The authority shall determine the amount each casino licensee shall be eligible to receive out of the moneys so set aside. The form, amount and terms of the investment made by the authority shall be determined by the authority, but the maximum amount of the investment shall not exceed the lesser of the amount which the casino licensee applying therefor is eligible to receive, or the amount equal to 27% of the costs reasonably related to constructing, reconstructing or rehabilitating the hotel rooms or appurtenant facilities in the project excluding costs reasonably related to space used for the conduct of casino gaming.

For the purposes of determining each casino licensee's eligibility for authority investments from the moneys so set aside, the authority may by resolution permit the transfer of obligation to make payment under section 3 of P.L.1984, c.218 (C.5:12-144.1) to any other casino licensee which has received approval for investment in a project to construct, reconstruct or rehabilitate hotel rooms.

In approving a hotel development project, the authority shall establish a schedule for investments to be made by the authority as progressive stages of construction, reconstruction or rehabilitation are accomplished. Any moneys remaining in the special fund thereafter shall be available for investment in otherwise eligible projects of the authority.

b. From the moneys made available to the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority pursuant to section 3 of P.L.1984, c.218 (C.5:12-144.1), the authority shall, in such manner as it may reasonably determine, set aside $75,000,000 for investment on hotel development projects in Atlantic City, which shall be in addition to the moneys set aside pursuant to subsection a. of this section. Any moneys set aside pursuant to that subsection a. which are not invested by the authority as the result of the failure of a casino licensee to comply with requirements, regulations, conditions or determinations made under that subsection a. shall be available for authority investment pursuant to this subsection b. Authority investments under this subsection b. shall be subject to the requirements, regulations, conditions and determinations of that subsection a., except as follows:

(1) The authority may provide an additional investment amount to a casino licensee which has had a hotel development project approved prior to the effective date of this amendatory act, P.L.1996, c.118 (C.5:12-173.3a et al.), but which the authority has approved for an amount out of the moneys set aside pursuant to that subsection a. that is less than the maximum amount of investment for the approved project because sufficient investment funds were not available to fund all projects approved under that subsection a. at the maximum amount of investment. The additional investment may be made only as the result of an application made to the authority on or before April 1, 1996. The additional investment amount shall not be greater than the difference between the maximum amount of investment for the approved project under that subsection a. and the amount which the authority actually approved for the project. The authority may provide an additional investment amount pursuant to this paragraph (1) only for those previously approved hotel development projects for which construction, reconstruction or rehabilitation has actually and substantially commenced on or before August 31, 1996.

(2) Thereafter, any casino licensee may be eligible to receive an investment out of moneys set aside pursuant to this subsection b.; provided, that the casino licensee shall apply for approval of a hotel development project by the authority within 90 days following the effective date of this amendatory act. The authority shall require as a condition for authority investment under this paragraph that construction, reconstruction or rehabilitation of the hotel development project actually and substantially commence within 12 months after the date upon which the authority and the casino licensee enter into a hotel room credit agreement.

L.1993,c.159,s.8; amended 1996, c.118, s.2.