The Poarch Band of Creek Indians, which is in the process of finalizing the deal to purchase the Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem from Las Vegas Sands, revealed that it plans to expand the casino that will be called Wind Creek Bethlehem.
In an interview with the Allentown Morning Call, Jay Dorris, president and CEO of Wind Creek Hospitality—the gaming arm of the tribe—said Wind Creek plans to immediately to spend $90 million to build a new 300-room hotel tower to augment the current 282-room Sands hotel. Dorris told the newspaper Wind Creek could break ground on the new tower as soon as the day after its $1.3 billion deal to buy the Sands closes later this year.
Dorris said more expansion is on board to fill out the Sands site, a sprawling parcel that was formerly home to Bethlehem Steel Works. That includes $100 million to repurpose the historic No. 2 Machine Shop. He told the newspaper several concepts are being bandied about, including a possible water park or other non-gaming attraction.
Sands Bethlehem President and COO Brian Carr said the hotel expansion alone would add 400 jobs to the current 2,500, which makes Sands among the largest employers in Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley.
“You could have 5,000 people working on this site in the not-too-distant future when it’s all developed out,” Carr told the Morning Call.
Dorris told the newspaper the additions also could serve as a hedge against new competition, particularly if the state of New York legalizes table games at its New York City racinos. New York City is one of the casino’s biggest feeder markets for tables, an area where Sands leads the state.
“One of the questions we get asked a lot about is what happens if New York City brings table games to casinos,” Dorris said. “Our response is that is several years down the road if it happens, but also in the meantime, we can take steps to make this area more appealing and we want to hang on to the people we have coming.”
