ACX1 Studios
A four-story oceanfront pier in Atlantic City that evolved from a shopping mall into a planned film, music, live-entertainment, and mixed-use production facility.
Last updated October 14, 2026
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Overview
ACX1 Studios is a four-story, approximately 550,000-square-foot multi-use facility on a pier extending from the Atlantic City Boardwalk in New Jersey. Although the supplied subject name refers to The Pier Shops at Caesars, the authoritative Wikipedia entity is ACX1 Studios, the current name of the same property. The facility occupies a roughly 900-foot pier at the foot of Arkansas Avenue and is connected to Caesars Atlantic City by a second-story skybridge. The site has been associated with public entertainment and commercial attractions since the early twentieth century. Its best-known predecessor was the Million Dollar Pier, which opened in 1906 and contained large entertainment spaces, a ballroom, theater, exhibition areas, an aquarium, skating facilities, and other attractions. After decades of financial difficulty, fires, storm damage, ownership changes, and physical deterioration, the original pier was demolished and replaced by a modern concrete-and-steel structure. The replacement opened in 1983 as Ocean One, a family-oriented shopping, dining, and entertainment complex intended to diversify Atlantic City beyond casino gaming. It contained fashion and specialty stores, restaurants, fast-food outlets, a theater, recreation areas, and a large event space. The property was substantially redeveloped after its acquisition by Gordon Group Holdings and reopened in 2006 as The Pier Shops at Caesars. The new concept emphasized upscale retail, dining, hospitality, and a direct relationship with the Caesars casino complex. Stores associated with the property included luxury and premium brands such as Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Tourneau, and Armani A/X. Taubman Centers acquired the center in 2007, but later defaulted on a reported $135 million loan. The property was taken over by its mortgage servicer, C-III Capital Partners, after attempts to sell it were unsuccessful. During the 2010s, the venue experienced increasing vacancy. The decline reflected both the expansion of casino gaming in competing jurisdictions and the broader pressure on enclosed and destination retail from online commerce. The property was renamed Playground Pier in 2015. By 2019, only a small number of stores remained, while some restaurants continued operating. Major retailers, including Apple, Tommy Bahama, and Gucci, had departed or declined to renew leases. In early 2020, the property was sold by Bart Blatstein to a subsidiary of Caesars Entertainment. Caesars indicated that it intended to reinvest in the pier, restore retail and restaurant occupancy, and undertake needed improvements. The property subsequently adopted the ACX1 Studios identity and reopened under that name on September 14, 2023. The ACX1 concept broadens the site beyond shopping. Its stated plans combine film and television production, live entertainment, music development, restaurants, educational activities, rehearsal facilities, arts spaces, and event uses. The production operation is intended to use much of the existing building for sets and location work, with plans describing as many as 150 sets. The operators have promoted Atlantic City and southern New Jersey as a potential East Coast production hub, supported by New Jersey film incentives and the convenience of nearby lodging, editing, entertainment, and hospitality infrastructure. Planned or proposed components have included a music incubator with recording and creative studios, festivals, conferences, educational panels, rehearsal facilities, and sync-licensing activity. Other announced or proposed tenants and attractions included the Laff House Atlantic City comedy club, an ACX1 brewery, a barcade-style venue, and the continued presence of ITSUGAR. Existing restaurants and the One Atlantic event space were also viewed as potentially useful both for public programming and for film production. In March 2026, ACX1 Studios filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, creating uncertainty about the continuation, ownership, and implementation of its redevelopment plans.
History
The site now identified with ACX1 Studios has a long history as one of Atlantic City's major oceanfront piers. In 1906, Captain John L. Young and Philadelphia builder Kennedy Crossan opened Young's Million Dollar Pier at the foot of Arkansas Avenue. The pier was approximately 1,900 feet long and was promoted as a major entertainment destination. Its attractions included a large ballroom, a 4,000-seat Hippodrome Theater, an exhibition hall, an aquarium, a Greek Temple, a skating rink, and organized fishing displays. The property also hosted conventions, theatrical performances, orchestras, movies, swimming activities, and other seasonal amusements. The 1925 Miss America Pageant and dance marathons in the early 1930s were among the events associated with the pier. The original operating company entered bankruptcy in 1936. George Hamid assumed operating control in 1938 and modernized the attraction, which became known as Hamid's Million Dollar Pier. The venue encountered serious operational and financial problems after the Second World War. In 1949, a lease dispute with an operating syndicate was followed by an arson fire that destroyed approximately 300 feet of the pier, including the ballroom, skating rink, and aquarium. The pier reopened for the 1950 season with a simpler arrangement of rides, concessions, and attractions. It continued operating in this form until 1981, despite additional setbacks including a 1957 fire, the demolition of older structures, and the loss of part of the ocean section during Hurricane Donna in 1960. Kravco Inc. acquired the site and replaced the deteriorating structure with a new concrete-and-steel pier. Ocean One opened in April 1983 as a three-story shopping mall and restaurant complex. Designed to resemble an ocean liner, it was intended to attract families and non-gambling visitors to an Atlantic City increasingly identified with casinos. Ocean One offered fashion shops, jewelry stores, bookstores, restaurants, fast-food outlets, a theater, a large television display, an event hall, and outdoor recreational activities. The developers expected the project to create substantial permanent and seasonal employment and to support wider Boardwalk renewal. Gordon Group Holdings acquired Ocean One in 2002 and redeveloped the property. Following the renovation, the pier reopened in 2006 as The Pier Shops at Caesars, with a more upscale retail and dining orientation and a skybridge connection to Caesars Atlantic City. Taubman Centers purchased the center in 2007. The ownership and financing structure became unstable when Taubman defaulted on a reported $135 million loan in 2010. C-III Capital Partners, acting as mortgage servicer, took control after the property failed to attract a successful auction outcome and Cushman & Wakefield was appointed to manage it. The shopping concept deteriorated during the 2010s. Competition from online retailers, changing consumer patterns, and Atlantic City's loss of regional exclusivity as other states expanded casino gaming contributed to declining foot traffic and tenant departures. The venue was renamed Playground Pier in June 2015. Its once-substantial store roster contracted sharply, falling from more than 75 stores during its stronger period to 59 in 2013 and approximately 10 by 2019. Prominent tenants such as Gucci, Apple, and Tommy Bahama left, leaving restaurants and a limited number of other businesses as the principal activity. In early 2020, Bart Blatstein sold the property to a Caesars Entertainment subsidiary. Caesars stated that it planned to invest in the pier, improve the building, and rebuild its retail and restaurant offer. The property later moved away from a conventional mall strategy. It reopened on September 14, 2023, as ACX1 Studios, presenting itself as a mixed-use film, television, music, live-entertainment, restaurant, and educational facility. The ACX1 plan seeks to use the existing building as a production environment, potentially accommodating as many as 150 sets while retaining selected restaurants and event spaces that could double as filming locations. The operators have also described music studios, arts and rehearsal rooms, conferences, festivals, educational programming, and a sync-licensing operation. Proposed additions included a comedy club, brewery, barcade-style attraction, and renewed use of the wedding and banquet facilities. The venture was promoted as part of an effort to make Atlantic City a major East Coast production center by leveraging New Jersey's film incentives and the concentration of lodging and services near the pier. In March 2026, the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, leaving the project's long-term direction uncertain.
- 2026
Chapter 11 filing
[1]ACX1 Studios filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
- 2023
Reopens as ACX1 Studios
[1]The venue reopened with a broader focus on film, television, music, live entertainment, restaurants, and education.
- 2020
Caesars subsidiary acquires the property
[1]A Caesars Entertainment subsidiary acquired the pier and announced plans to invest in its stores, restaurants, and physical condition.
- 2015
Renamed Playground Pier
[1]The property adopted the Playground Pier name as vacancy and retail challenges intensified.
- 2010
Loan default and lender takeover
[1]Taubman Centers defaulted on a reported $135 million loan, after which the mortgage servicer took control of the property.
- 2007
Taubman Centers acquires the center
[1]Taubman Centers purchased the shopping center following its reopening.
- 2006
The Pier Shops at Caesars opens
[1]The redeveloped pier reopened with an upscale retail and dining concept connected to Caesars Atlantic City.
- 2002
Ocean One redevelopment begins
[1]Gordon Group Holdings acquired the property and undertook a major redevelopment.
- 1983
Ocean One opens
[1]Kravco opened a new family-oriented shopping, restaurant, and entertainment complex on the site.
- 1981
Original pier is demolished
[1]The deteriorated Million Dollar Pier was demolished and replaced with a modern shopping-pier structure.
Products and positioning
A destination oceanfront venue transitioning from premium shopping and casino-adjacent leisure toward a mixed-use creative-production and entertainment campus.
Film and television production · 2023
ACX1 Studios production facilities
The principal current concept uses the existing pier as a production environment for film and television. Plans described a large number of adaptable sets, with restaurants, event areas, and other interiors potentially serving as filming locations. The facility is positioned to benefit from southern New Jersey's film incentives and proximity to lodging, editing, hospitality, and entertainment services.
Music and creative services · 2023
Music incubator
The proposed music program includes recording and creative studios, rehearsal facilities, educational panels, festivals, conferences, and a sync-licensing operation. It is intended to support artists and music-industry activity alongside the site's film and live-entertainment functions.
Events and hospitality
One Atlantic
One Atlantic is an approximately 14,000-square-foot event and banquet venue on the fourth floor. It has been used or planned for weddings, parties, and other private functions and was identified as a facility that could be reopened or integrated into the broader ACX1 program.
Luxury and specialty retail · 2006
The Pier Shops at Caesars retail center
The 2006 retail concept offered upscale and luxury stores, restaurants, bars, clubs, and a direct skybridge connection to Caesars Atlantic City. Reported former tenants included Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Tourneau, and Armani A/X. The retail offer later contracted substantially as vacancies increased.
Shopping and entertainment complex · 1983
Ocean One
Ocean One was a family-oriented shopping and dining complex that opened in 1983. Its offer included fashion, jewelry, books, restaurants, fast food, a theater, an event hall, a giant television display, and outdoor recreation such as miniature golf and shuffleboard.
Brand decisions
2026
Chapter 11 restructuringOtherBackground
ACX1 Studios faced financial uncertainty while developing its mixed-use production and entertainment concept.
Action taken
The company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
Aftermath
The filing placed the project's ownership, operations, and redevelopment plans under restructuring uncertainty.
2023
Conversion into ACX1 StudiosStrategyBackground
The former shopping mall had experienced prolonged vacancy and was being repositioned for uses beyond traditional retail.
Action taken
The property reopened as ACX1 Studios with plans for film and television production, music development, live entertainment, restaurants, and educational programming.
Aftermath
The new concept sought to establish Atlantic City as an East Coast production center, but its longer-term execution became uncertain after the 2026 bankruptcy filing.
2015
Renaming as Playground PierStrategyBackground
The property faced increasing vacancy and a weakening conventional shopping-center proposition.
Action taken
The center changed its name from The Pier Shops at Caesars to Playground Pier.
Aftermath
The retail tenant base continued to contract, reaching approximately 10 stores by 2019.
2006
Repositioning as The Pier Shops at CaesarsStrategyBackground
After Gordon Group Holdings acquired and redeveloped Ocean One, the property was repositioned toward upscale retail, dining, and casino-adjacent tourism.
Action taken
The renovated pier reopened under The Pier Shops at Caesars name and was linked to Caesars Atlantic City by a skybridge.
Aftermath
The center initially attracted premium retailers but later suffered from high vacancy and declining retail traffic.
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