One of Philadelphia’s casino bidders has beefed up its construction team to add more minority representation.
PHL Local Gaming LLC, whose $428 million Casino Revolution proposal is one of five casino bids seeking one license, has brought on an Atlanta builder, H.J. Russell + Co., which built the Omni Dallas Convention Center and Phoenix Convention Center and is ranked by Black Enterprise magazine as one of the Top 100 African American-owned businesses in the country. This spring, it will start construction on the Atlanta Falcons' new, $1 billion stadium.
If the project is approved, Russell would build the casino through a joint venture with Bala Cynwyd, Pa.-based L.F. Driscoll Co. LLC, which built the Philadelphia’s highest structure, the Comcast Center.
Michael Russell, CEO of H.J. Russell, said developers are “anxious to attract to the project a broad array of high-quality female and minority firms, consistent with the goals in the company’s construction diversity plan.”
PHL Local has committed to hiring 75 percent of its workers locally, with 35 percent of all workers being minorities and 7 percent female.
“Aside from its extensive general construction-market experience, the Russell company will be primarily responsible for ensuring that local minority and female construction firms and suppliers are also appropriately included during the proposed casino’s construction phase,” Joseph Canfora, president of PHL Local, said.
In addition to bolstering minority hiring, PHL Local Gaming also continues to claim that by using an existing structure it could get its casino open six months before its competitors — a factor that would mean an additional $42 million in tax revenue and $10 million in wages.
Casino Revolution would have a 250-room hotel, 2,400 slots, 105 table games, restaurants and other dining, and a 1,600-car garage. It would also include an adjacent Lower South (LoSo) Entertainment Center. It would make use of part of the Procacci Bros. Produce site.
The Pennsylvania Casino Control Board will hold three days of suitability hearings next week, Jan. 28-30, at the Pennsylvania Convention Center.
PHL Local Gaming’s hearing will be Jan. 29, 2 to 6 p.m., in Ballroom A at the Convention Center.
Source: Philadelphia Business Journal
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