Atlantic City’s Casino Reinvestment Development Authority has approved plans to redevelop a former casino into a family-focused entertainment complex with a giant waterpark and 800 hotel rooms.

The new deal will see the Atlantic Club Casino Hotel – which closed in January 2014 – converted into a family destination, which will be centred around the 81,000sq ft (7,500sq m) waterpark development with other yet-to-be-confirmed family entertainment facilities. Atlantic City-based SOSH Architects are handling designs for the project, and Endeavour Property Group are the developers.

A similar project at the nearby Revel Casino – which was purchased by Florida-based real-estate developer Glenn Straub for US$94.5m (€81.5m, £62.3m) after much legal wrangling – is still awaiting approval for redevelopment. If given the go-ahead, the Revel would provide fierce competition for the Atlantic Club through its plans for a mega resort centred around a waterpark and gambling facilities, with a high-speed ferry service linking it directly to Manhattan.

In the wake of the loss of four of its 12 casinos in the last two years, Atlantic City is continuing to push for new, non-gambling themed attractions in a complete rebranding of the city. Aside from the two casino to waterpark redevelopment projects, the latest redevelopment plans include a beachfront giant Ferris wheel and zip line, restaurants, an extension of the Steel Pier and a reconstructed Boardwalk.