The Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem announced that it is beginning a major two-year expansion effort that will double the size of its hotel, as well as adding a convention facility and new retail outlets.
According to a report in The Morning Call, the expansion will include a new 300-room hotel tower, a 110,000-square-foot Bass Pro Shop and a 75,000-square-foot convention center that will accommodate 500 people. Sands officials declined to comment initially on the newspaper report, saying that a press release is expected to be released in the next two weeks detailing the project.
“The Sands Casino Resort is a great economic development engine in the Lehigh Valley and a major marketing vehicle for the region,” said Don Cunningham, president and CEO of Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corp., in an interview with Lehigh Valley Business. “Its continued growth and expansion not only creates more jobs and economic activity, but it continues to expose the Lehigh Valley to more people and enhances overall awareness of the region.”
The Sands, one of Pennsylvania’s most successful gaming properties, currently offers 3,000 slot machines, 200 table games, a 300-room hotel and a 14,000-square-foot convention center. In May, Atlantic City gaming veteran Mark Juliano took over as the property’s CEO, following the March resignation of original chief executive Robert DeSalvio.
