Officials of Cordish Companies’ Stadium Casinos LLC appeared last week at a public hearing before the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board to report details of its planned Category 4 satellite casino at the former location of the Bon-Ton anchor department store at Westmoreland Mall in Greensburg.
The new mini-casino “will be inclusive of great gaming, entertainment, dining and shopping experiences that will excite the customer base,” Cordish CFO Travis Lamb said during a 45-minute summary of the plans.
The 100,000-square-foot space will be transformed into a two-story casino development, with the main floor housing 750 slot machines and 30 table games, along with support functions such as the casino cage, player’s club and promotions booth, Lamb said. He added the company anticipates including a 2,500-square-foot food and beverage area and a two-story feature bar that will give customers a “wow experience.”
The casino will be part of what Lamb said is planned as a sports entertainment complex, offering participatory games such as shuffleboard in addition to the gaming offerings. The final design also will incorporate a high-energy nightlife area.
“We develop first-class facilities,” said Lamb. “I expect a continuation of that with this Westmoreland Mall project.”
Lamb said the company will spend around $131 million on the project, which he predicted will produce about $81 million in direct annual output to state and local municipalities, as well as a $7 million benefit for the local community through temporary construction jobs and permanent casino jobs. He predicted a one-time $123 million economic impact to Westmoreland County, with 710 full-time construction jobs, followed by the establishment of 500 permanent jobs, mostly full-time with an average annual wage of $43,000.
Cordish officials also told the board of the experience Cordish has in this type of location, citing the success of Maryland Live!, which is adjacent to the Arundel Mills Mall outside of Baltimore. Maryland Live! generates 18 million visitors a year, and was Maryland’s top-earning casino before the opening of MGM National Harbor near Washington, D.C.
“By adding the facility to the mall, we actually believe (it) will create a complete entertainment destination,” said Rob Norton, Cordish president. “The way malls are heading and physical shopping is heading in today’s environment with online proliferation, we are seeing that the move to more entertainment focus is actually helping the physical establishments and actually driving bodies back to the malls.”
Also testifying at the hearing, which was held at the Hempfield Municipal Building, was Hempfield Township Supervisor Doug Weimer, who expressed concerns over public safety and security, since Hempfield has no local police force and relies on the state police for security.
“I am here to ask and confirm that the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board has seriously considered a few factors on how a Category 4 casino license would affect the nature of a municipality such as Hempfield Township, Westmoreland County,” Weimer said.
