ATLANTIC CITY — Philanthropists John Schultz and Gary Hill listed their nine-floor high-rise at 1616 Pacific Ave. on the market last week for $10.9 million to downsize and start the next chapter of their lives together in the city, Schultz said Friday.
“There’s a misconception that we’re moving out of Atlantic City, but we’re not,” said Schultz, who noted “everybody was upset” when they thought he was selling his home to leave the island. “I’m turning 82, and we’ve lived there for almost 20 years, and we’re going to downsize. … Leaving Atlantic City is definitely the furthest thing from my mind. I was born and raised in the city. I love Atlantic City.”
Schultz and Hill owned many of the most popular LGBTQ-friendly bars and nightclubs in Atlantic City during the late 20th century, such as Studio 6, the Brass Rail and Club Tru.
The couple have lived on Westminister Avenue since 1988, before they bought Casa Del Cielo in 2004 and spent nearly $5 million to renovate the site, not including how much it cost to build, Schultz said.
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The ground floor has a two-door, three-car garage fronting Mount Vernon Avenue.
The first floor is where the Schultz-Hill Foundation is based, which will most likely remain at the Pacific Avenue location because the organization has a five-year lease with the building, said Schultz. Office suites also occupy the first six floors of the building.
Floors seven through nine are where the couple live. The seventh and eighth floors have a grand staircase leading to the massive glass dome on the ceiling, catering kitchen, regular kitchen, wine room, private movie theater, indoor pool, sauna, gym, massage room, 30-seat formal dining room complete with 4,200-strand crystal chandelier, living rooms, reading rooms and more.
The ninth floor is the penthouse. That’s where the master bedroom, bathroom, another full-sized kitchen, an outdoor patio with outdoor seating, two fireplaces, hot tub and vegetable garden are located.
Views of the entire city, ocean, beach and Boardwalk can be seen throughout the building, especially the roof. And 36 high-tech security cameras, along with swipe cards to access the property, ensure the building is safe at all times.
Schultz and Hill moved into the property Jan. 10, 2008, which was the exact day of their 20th anniversary of being on Westminister Avenue, Schultz said.
“Of course we’re gonna miss it,” said Schultz. “But you know, in the same token, we’ve had almost 20 years and we’re really happy — all the memories we had there, the fundraisers and the political stuff, and all the things we did there. But nothing lasts forever, you know?”
Schultz said the couple are in the process of building their new 12,000-square-foot townhome in a warehouse on the street recently named after them, Schultz-Hill Boulevard, formerly known as Westminister Avenue and Snake Alley.
The warehouse recently had a mural painted on the side of it by Miami-based artist Ruben Ubiera as part of a campaign by the Atlantic City Arts Foundation and Create 48.
Schultz said they were going to add another four floors to build “a nice, big townhouse” right in the neighborhood, complete with amenities like the farming garden Casa Del Cielo had, along with a “whirlpool, not a great, big swimming pool,” three guest bedrooms and a dining room that seats 12 as opposed to 30.
Tom Sykes, the principal at Atlantic-City based SOSH Architects, is developing the achitectural plan, Schultz said.
“I know this is gonna sound morbid, but if I die, or Gary dies even, we’re gonna have a hard time doing all this stuff alone,” said Schultz. “So we’ll do it together and just move on to another stage in our life.”
GALLERY: John Schultz and Atlantic City’s gay scene
John Schultz, of Atlantic City, with his collection of memorabilia in his home of the gay nightclubs, bars and hotels in Atlantic City that he owned, Friday, June 9, 2023.
Some of the memorabilia in the home of John Schultz, of Atlantic City, of the gay nightclubs, bars and hotels in Atlantic City that he owned, Friday, June 9, 2023.
John Schultz, of Atlantic City, with his collection of memorabilia in his home of the gay nightclubs, bars and hotels in Atlantic City that he owned, Friday, June 9, 2023.
John Schultz, of Atlantic City, with his collection of memorabilia in his home of the gay nightclubs, bars and hotels in Atlantic City that he owned, Friday, June 9, 2023.
Some of the memorabilia in the home of John Schultz, of Atlantic City, of the gay nightclubs, bars and hotels in Atlantic City that he owned, Friday, June 9, 2023.
Some of the memorabilia in the home of John Schultz, of Atlantic City, of the gay nightclubs, bars and hotels in Atlantic City that he owned, Friday, June 9, 2023.
John Schultz, of Atlantic City, with his collection of memorabilia in his home of the gay nightclubs, bars and hotels in Atlantic City that he owned, Friday, June 9, 2023.
Some of the memorabilia in the home of John Schultz, of Atlantic City, of the gay nightclubs, bars and hotels in Atlantic City that he owned, Friday, June 9, 2023.
John Schultz, of Atlantic City, has collected memorabilia from the gay nightclubs, bars and hotels he has owned over the years.
Some of the memorabilia in the home of John Schultz, of Atlantic City, of the gay nightclubs, bars and hotels in Atlantic City that he owned, Friday, June 9, 2023.
Some of the memorabilia in the home of John Schultz, of Atlantic City, of the gay nightclubs, bars and hotels in Atlantic City that he owned, Friday, June 9, 2023.
Some of the memorabilia in the home of John Schultz, of Atlantic City, of the gay nightclubs, bars and hotels in Atlantic City that he owned, Friday, June 9, 2023.
Some of the memorabilia in the home of John Schultz, of Atlantic City, of the gay nightclubs, bars and hotels in Atlantic City that he owned, Friday, June 9, 2023.
Some of the memorabilia in the home of John Schultz, of Atlantic City, of the gay nightclubs, bars and hotels in Atlantic City that he owned, Friday, June 9, 2023.
Some of the memorabilia in the home of John Schultz, of Atlantic City, of the gay nightclubs, bars and hotels in Atlantic City that he owned, Friday, June 9, 2023.
John Schultz, of Atlantic City, with his collection of memorabilia in his home of the gay nightclubs, bars and hotels in Atlantic City that he owned, Friday, June 9, 2023.
Some of the memorabilia in the home of John Schultz, of Atlantic City, of the gay nightclubs, bars and hotels in Atlantic City that he owned, Friday, June 9, 2023.
Some of the memorabilia in the home of John Schultz, of Atlantic City, of the gay nightclubs, bars and hotels in Atlantic City that he owned, Friday, June 9, 2023.
Some of the memorabilia in the home of John Schultz, of Atlantic City, of the gay nightclubs, bars and hotels in Atlantic City that he owned, Friday, June 9, 2023.
Some of the memorabilia in the home of John Schultz, of Atlantic City, of the gay nightclubs, bars and hotels in Atlantic City that he owned, Friday, June 9, 2023.
The former entrance to the Brass Rail Tavern and the Studio lV dance club, two gay-friendly establishments in Atlantic City, owned by John Schultz, of Atlantic City, Friday, June 9, 2023.
