• Hard Rock Hotel & Casino , Atlantic City •
The saga of Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City came to an end in October 2014 when owner Carl Icahn shuttered the building . It was the nadir of the city ’ s casino industry . Several other casinos closed , leaving only seven . Things looked pretty grim for the Boardwalk .
Jim Allen ’ s interest was piqued . As chairman of Hard Rock International and a resident of the Atlantic City area , Allen recruited a couple of minority partners . Together they pulled the trigger , and Hard Rock purchased the former Taj in March 2017 . But the race had just begun .
SOSH Architects welcomed the role of architect of record , leading the transformation of the hotel , casino , entertainment venue and restaurants in conjunction with Jeffrey Beers International for all podium design and Wimberly for hotel interiors . In less than a year , the team transformed the once-closed casino into a modern , vibrant and energetic entertainment destination .
The newly renovated property boasts an expansive gaming floor with 2,100 slots and 120 table games , a beautifully appointed high-limit gaming space , wood ceiling coffers with custom chandeliers , and glass column memorabilia cases to showcase Hard Rock ’ s priceless collection .
The Hard Rock Cafe was centrally located within the property in a new 400-seat venue with improved indoor and outdoor stages , panoramic views of the ocean and direct Boardwalk access .
Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena was revamped to accommodate 7,000 guests . In addition , the new hotel and casino also features 2,000 renovated guest rooms and suites , 150,000 square feet of meeting and event space , an indoor pool , nightclub , marketplace , spa and VIP lounges . Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City opened on June 28 , 2018 . A little
Ahead of the Game
• Miami Valley Gaming & Racing , Lebanon , Ohio •
Miami Valley Gaming & Racing is set to start growing again , with a $ 100 million expansion project .
The Lebanon , Ohio racino , owned jointly by Delaware North and Churchill Downs Inc ., is proposing to add a hotel , restaurant , parking garage and additional space for gaming machines .
The racino originally opened in December 2013 with 1,500 video lottery terminals ; it now has more than 1,900 VLTs . The proposed expansion would add up to 250 additional gaming stations , bringing the total units in operation to about 2,200 , while increasing the gaming floor space by 10,000 square feet .
“ It ’ s no secret that , with our continued success , we ’ ve been looking at the feasibility of a major expansion project for some time now ,” said Domenic Mancini , MVG president and general manager . “ We ’ re looking forward to
more than a year later , it became the second highestgrossing casino in Atlantic City . Since the opening of Hard Rock and its neighbor Ocean Casino Resort , the Atlantic City casino industry has bounced back and is thriving . — Patrick Roberts
WHAT : Hard Rock Hotel & Casino , Atlantic City , NJ OWNER : Hard Rock International ARCHITECTS : SOSH Architects SIZE : 4 million square feet BUDGET : $ 500 million OPENED : June 2018
working with our state and local leaders to turn the proposal into reality .”
The expansion project is expected to be completed in the first half of 2021 . MVG currently employs more than 450 workers and is seeking to fill nearly 50 fulltime and part-time positions , including buffet and fine dining cooks , dishwashers , special event attendants , security officers , IT network and system engineers and gaming technicians .
The proposed hotel will have 194 rooms , while the parking garage will have spaces for approximately 1,000 cars . The hotel will allow MVG to expand its market beyond Cincinnati and Dayton by attracting business from major cities within a few hours ’ drive , such as Columbus and Indianapolis . For the past several months , MVG has experienced parking constraints on busy weekends and holidays , and the garage will help address that , Mancini said .
Thalden Boyd Emery , an architecture firm based in Missouri , designed the original racino and has been retained to design and develop this expansion project .
In addition to its inventory of gaming machines , MVG has four restaurants , two bars , a 5 / 8-mile harness racetrack with indoor grandstand , and racing simulcast center . — Edward Healy
OWNERS : Delaware North & Churchill Downs Inc . ARCHITECT : TBE Architects ( Thalden Boyd Emery ) INVESTMENT : $ 100 Million
8 CASINO STYLE 2019