In western Pennsylvania, Stadium Casino LLC, may reportedly be planning to open its new miniature casino within Westmoreland Mall on the site of a soon-to-close franchise of clothing and home goods retailer, The Bon-Ton Stores Incorporated.
Site is within Westmoreland County:
According to a Wednesday report from the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review newspaper, January saw Stadium Casino LLC pay some $40.1 million for the second of ten miniature casino licenses that are being put up for sale by the eastern state. As a condition of the sale, the operator is to be required to open its new gambling venue inside Westmoreland County and within a 15-mile radius of the region’s Derry Township.
The newspaper reported that the two-story Westmoreland Mall falls within this requisite distance and would place the miniature casino with its 750 slots and 30 gaming tables about a 45-minute drive from downtown Pittsburgh.
Plans revealed by Pennsylvania State Senator:
The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review cited local Pennsylvania State Senator, Kim Ward, as the source for its information after the Republican revealed that she had been brief by officials from Stadium Casino LLC, which is currently spending approximately $600 million to build its 200,000 sq ft Live! Hotel and Casino in Philadelphia.
Stadium Casino LLC is a joint venture of the Baltimore-based, The Cordish Companies and Pennsylvanian firm Greenwood Gaming and Entertainment Incorporated, which runs the state’s, Parx Casino. The newspaper reported that the operator has yet to officially confirm the location for its new miniature casino but has until tomorrow to file the appropriate paperwork.
Economic benefits extolled:
Ward told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review that the new miniature casino is expected to generate around $120 million in economic benefits for Westmoreland County and employ approximately 440 full-time workers. She purportedly detailed that the venue could moreover create up to 150 temporary construction jobs and lead to a further 600 people finding employment.
Mall owner ‘still evaluating’ proposed site’s future:
The Pittsburgh Times-Tribune reported that the 105-acre Westmoreland Mall is owned by Tennessee real estate developer 7BALL CBL Properties with its spokesperson, Stacey Keating, reportedly declaring that the Chattanooga-headquartered firm is ‘still evaluating our redevelopment plans for the Bon-Ton site.’