Dive Brief:
- The Seminole Tribe of Florida this week offered up details of a $1.5 billion expansion of its Hard Rock hotel and casino complex in Hollywood, FL, the centerpiece of which is a 450-foot-tall, guitar-shaped hotel tower, according to the Sun-Sentinel.
- The hotel is just one piece of the project, which will also include the replacement of the Hard Rock's existing entertainment center, bring the total hotel room count to 1,300, add a 7,000-seat live performance venue and double the size of the existing casino. The 10-acre addition will also feature a "beach club" component with private cabanas, plunge pools, waterfalls, restaurants, spa and underwater rooms as part of a "Bora Bora Experience."
- The project should be completed in advance of Superbowl LIV, which will be played at the Hard Rock Stadium in nearby Miami in 2020. Seminole officials said the massive expansion will generate 2,000 construction jobs and create 3,000 permanent positions.
Dive Insight:
Rather than just providing an opportunity to gamble, casinos are becoming entertainment destinations with games of chance as just one component.
In July, Resorts World revealed that it would expand its "racino" complex near Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens, NY. The $400 million addition will include a 400-room, four-star hotel, additional restaurant and retail space and more slot machines. Aside from creating more local jobs, the project is expected to provide a $200 million economic boost for New York City.
Wynn Resorts are old pros at providing entertainment options around its casino operations and has two major developments underway. One is a $2.4 billion casino complex in Everett, MA. The company awarded Suffolk Construction Co. a $1 billion contract to build it and expects the project to generate at least 4,000 temporary construction jobs. The 3 million-square-foot resort will feature retail space, gambling machines, restaurants and bars, as well as convention and meeting facilities.
That project was delayed via an appeal of the project's environmental permit, backed by officials in adjacent towns. Critics of the new casino complex complained it would create too many traffic and pollution headaches.
