There it goes, Miss America's former home

State Sen. William L. Gormley, R-Atlantic, wants to gut Atlantic City's Boardwalk Hall to house a $3 billion retail mall and hotel casino. The aim is to lure mogul Steve Wynn back to New Jersey.

Gormley says he wants to see the facade of the historic building retained, then use its shell to house a mall similar to Union Station in Washington, then attach a casino hotel. I honestly don't know ... I'm not a big Atlantic City person. Haven't been there in years. But after seeing so many historic homes, buildings and the like go to pot in our area, I'm always wary of any plans to "gut" historic buildings.

I think of the Asbury Park boardwalk, some incredible homes that were reduced to sticks and of our editorial board's walk-through of the buildings of Fort Hancock at Sandy Hook. The once-grand "Officers' Club" was pretty incredible -- this once fancy-schmancy place just ravaged by the elements as it was left unprotected for so long. Being inside was eerie.

Can history be preserved in Atlantic City if Boardwalk Hall is gutted? Is a retail mall the best use for this place? Does A.C. need another casino/hotel? If not, what should be done with it?