Live! Pittsburgh is the first of two Cordish Pennsylvania projects
Officials of Cordish Companies and its Pennsylvania subsidiary Stadium Casino held a ribbon-cutting ceremony last week to officially open the $150 million Live! Casino Pittsburgh, a 100,000-square-foot Category 4 casino located in a former Bon Ton anchor store of the Westmoreland Mall in suburban Hempfield Township, about 35 miles from downtown Pittsburgh.
The casino is the Category 4 satellite facility to Live! Hotel & Casino Philadelphia, slated to open early next year in Philadelphia’s Stadium District, home to all of the city’s professional sports teams.
The casino is the first project in Pennsylvania to open under the Category 4 designation, created under the state’s 2017 gaming expansion law. Category 4 casinos, commonly called mini-casinos, are restricted to 750 slot machines and 30 table games upon opening. An additional 10 table games can be installed via petition after opening. They must be linked to the license of a current Category 1 (racino) or Category 2 (stand-alone) casino.
The ribbon-cutting was held for invited guests, and was followed by a “soft opening” meant to test games, systems and procedures. The casino will officially open to the public tomorrow, November 24.
Live! Casino Pittsburgh expands the Live! Casino brand in the Mid-Atlantic region and into Pennsylvania for the first time.
Cordish Companies principal Jon Cordish, Managing Partner Joe Weinberg and Cordish Gaming Group President Rob Norton were joined at the ribbon-cutting ceremony by incoming state Senate Majority Leader Kim Ward and state Rep. George Dunbar. Also in attendance were Westmoreland County Commissioners Sean Kertes, Douglas Chew and Gina Cerilli, members of the Hempfield Township Board of Supervisors, and numerous business and community leaders from the region.
“Live! Casino Pittsburgh is a world-class destination that will set the gold standard for gaming, dining and entertainment in the region,” said Jon Cordish. “As a family-owned business for over 100 years, today marks an incredibly special day for my family and for the Cordish Companies as we expand our Live! Casino brand into Pennsylvania for the first time. I’d like to thank Senator Ward, Representative Dunbar, county commissioners and local officials for their unending support of this project.”
As part of the Cordish Companies’ ongoing commitment to the community, Cordish officials presented checks for $15,000 each to the Westmoreland County Food Bank and to Sage’s Army. The donations, intended to provide hunger relief and assist with substance use disorder in the region, were generated from test nights held by the casino in preparation for its opening night.
“The Cordish Companies has long embraced a culture of giving and community service,” said Zed Smith, chief operating officer of the Cordish Companies. “Giving back to the communities where our projects are located and where our team members live and work is of upmost important to us. We will continue to explore ways to serve the Westmoreland County Food Bank, Sage’s Army and other community organizations that make Western Pennsylvania so special.”
Opened only one year after its groundbreaking, Live! Casino Pittsburgh will provide the region $188 million in annual economic impact, an additional $148 million in economic impact from construction, and $47.5 million in tax revenues, according to company projections. The facility will provide more than 500 permanent new jobs for local and regional residents.
“To be creating hundreds of new permanent, well-paying jobs at this particular point in time is a real testament to the value this project is bringing to our region,” said Ward at the ribbon-cutting. “I look forward to how the casino opening will bring renewed life to the Westmoreland Mall, which has struggled under the recent Covid-19 restrictions and is a critical part of the commercial economy in Westmoreland County.
“Live! Casino is a first-class property and completely exceeded our expectations. Every step of the way, the Cordish Companies has done exactly what they promised to do. They have been a terrific partner and we are excited to welcome them to Pennsylvania.”
In addition to 750 slots and 30 table games, Live! features a FanDuel Sportsbook. Located exclusively on the ground level, the casino is strictly for guests 21 and over. The second level is available to guests of all ages and provides a host of entertainment and food options, including live music and non-casino games. Live! Casino also features incredible access and parking, with over 6,000 surrounding surface spaces and more in the Westmoreland Mall parking garage.
“From day one of the conversation about bringing gaming to Pennsylvania, I have advocated for a property like Live! Casino because of the value it brings to the community in terms of jobs and tax revenue,” said Dunbar. “At a time when good news and opportunity are hard to come by, the Cordish Companies is making it happen here. We are grateful for their partnership, and we look forward to fulfilling all the promise this property brings to the people of Westmoreland County.”
A lineup of stellar dining opportunities at Live! Casino will include two premier concepts, Guy Fieri’s American Kitchen + Bar and Sports & Social Steel City.
In addition, the property will also feature a PBR Country Bar, PBR Pittsburgh. Slated to open next year as part of a second phase of openings, PBR Pittsburgh will bring an authentic country experience to the region.
Management is still hiring for a variety of jobs, including experienced table games dealers, slot technicians, restaurant servers and more. People can apply for positions online and learn more about the company and its culture by visiting WorkAtLive.com.
To prepare for opening, Live! Casino has developed a comprehensive “Play It Safe” plan, an enhanced health and sanitation program that allows for ample social distancing, reduced occupancies, and vigorous hygiene and health measures for all guests and employees.
Key components of the plan include the installation of the state-of-the-art Atmos Air Bi-Polar Air Purification System within the HVAC system to treat and clean the air in the facility, including any virus particulates. The system is designed to perform 12 air changes per hour throughout the casino floor, which is more than twice the frequency of most commercial buildings.
The plan follows guidelines and recommendations from federal and state public health officials, along with best practices for the gaming and hospitality industries focusing on masking, temperature checks, social distancing, and repeated cleaning of high-traffic areas, slots machines and table game equipment.
