Construction is underway on temporary casino
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On a date where the month and day add up to Blackjack, Hard Rock International said construction plans are underway for its temporary casino at the site of the former mall on Gate City Highway in Bristol, Virginia.
The temporary casino is expected to open in the second quarter of 2022 and create 600 jobs.
Thursday’s announcement follows the submission of a demolition plan to the city for changes that needed to be made to the current building to house the planned $400 million casino resort that is expected to employ as many as 2,000 people when fully developed.
Construction of the temporary casino is the first step toward the facility designed to include a casino with 2,700 slot machines and 100 table games as well as a 300-room hotel, seven restaurants, four bars, a 3,200-seat live performance venue, an outdoor performance venue with a capacity of 20,000 along with retail and convention space.
“We’ve introduced the Hard Rock experience to a number of cities this year, and our presence in Bristol, Virginia, is especially rewarding for the brand as the project is our first hotel and casino in the state,” Jon Lucas, the chief operating officer of Hard Rock International, said in a news release. “The project will spur economic growth, additional tax revenue and create new jobs for the city and its surrounding areas. We look forward to welcoming Hard Rock fans in the new year.”
The temporary full-service casino will have approximately 30,000 square feet of gaming space, featuring approximately 900 gaming slots and 20 tables for a variety of gaming options. The temporary casino will include a main casino floor as well as non-smoking and high-limit gaming areas.
The news release said guests will also be able to enjoy a new restaurant, a grab and go food outlet, and a sports bar and lounge with entertainment along with an adjacent smoking sports lounge.
Construction will begin at the former Belk store that featured women’s items at the former mall.
