Bethlehem Sands eyes expansion

A proposed million expansion at Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem is one of the top business stories of the year in the Greater Lehigh Valley.

The casino disclosed plans in October to renovate the No. 2 machine shop on the grounds of the former Bethlehem Steel. Since then, there has been little information about the project at the gambling complex.

“No meetings are scheduled and no plans have been submitted for renovations to the No. 2 machine shop building on the grounds of the former Bethlehem Steel,” said Tracy Samuelson, assistant director for planning and zoning for the City of Bethlehem. She also confirmed there were no land development plans for the site on record.

The expansion would include a 300-room hotel tower, 110,000-square-foot Bass Pro Shops and an adjoining 75,000-square-foot convention center that will hold up to 500 people, according to a report in The Morning Call.

Samuelson said the area, which is part of the former steel foundry site, has parking, and that rehabilitation of the hulking No. 2 machine shop structure, would “tie everything together.

“The building is to the rear of the WLVT PBS-39 building and the ArtsQuest complex and is adjacent but not connected to the existing casino compound,” Samuelson said.

“It is a huge building,” she said.

Julia Corwin, director of brand marketing at Sands Bethlehem, declined to comment on the expansion plans.

Samuelson said a traffic study would be required, along with the land development process.

Once the process started, approval shouldn't take much longer than six months, provided there were no complications, Samuelson said.

Emeril Lagasse's Italian Table restaurant – Lagasse is connected to two other restaurants at the casino complex – would be replaced by a Cajun-themed restaurant, and the casino could be remodeled, according to The Morning Call.

Last year, the casino grossed $177 million in table game revenue – the highest in the state, and had more than $200 million in slots revenue, second highest in Pennsylvania.

The expansion plans follow the hiring of Mark Juliano as president and CEO in May – after his predecessor, Robert DeSalvio, resigned in March.

Juliano arrived in Bethlehem from Marina Bay Sands, the company's resort in Singapore, where he was senior vice president and chief casino officer.

Juliano has served in senior roles for casinos in Atlantic City and Las Vegas.

The casino has more than 3,000 slot machines, 200 table games, a 300-room hotel and a 14,000-square-foot event center. It opened in May 2009.

Source: LVB.com