Grandstand demolition begins at The Meadows

September 06, 2007

Meadows Racetrack & Casino officials Wednesday held a brief ceremony to mark the beginning of the removal of the grandstand, which will be replaced by a state-of-the-art $155 million casino, hotel and spa.

Standing with members of the state House of Representatives Gaming Oversight Committee, local state Rep. Tim Solobay and state Sen. J. Barry Stout joined Meadows officials in dropping the first wrecking ball on the 44-year-old venerable grandstand.

�This day comes with a bit of sadness because this grandstand holds a lot of great memories for so many people,� said Bill Paulos, a principal of Las Vegas-based Cannery Casinos Resorts (CCR), which owns The Meadows. �At the same time, we�re also excited about the future of The Meadows. The changes that we have planned will ensure this wonderful racetrack creates more memories for generations to come.�

Last month, Meadows officials fulfilled their promise to design one of the east coast�s premier casinos, unveiling a state-of-the-art casino that includes a 200-room hotel and luxury spa. The permanent 350,000 square-foot casino, which will create 1,200 jobs, is slated to open in early 2009. Hotel and spa guests will have direct access to the gaming floor, restaurants, entertainment facilities and racetrack.

�Our visitors couldn�t be happier with our temporary casino, but we believe they�re going to fall in love with our permanent casino,� said Meadows Vice President Mike Graninger. �We�re going to build a facility that respects the grand tradition of The Meadows, and we�re going to create a place that will allow people to stay a little longer, have fun, and enjoy all that our area offers.�

The permanent casino will integrate the long-standing tradition of harness racing at The Meadows with state-of-the-art gaming facilities. Featuring 3,000 slot machines, the casino will provide a covered grandstand area overlooking the racetrack. VIP boxes will also be available and provide a select view of the horse racing. A separate entrance at track level will lead to a simulcast area and wagering lobby. Approximately 12,500 square feet of multifunctional space will accommodate a variety of live entertainment venues as well as banquets and conferences.

There will be three featured dining facilities, which include a premiere steak house, a specialty restaurant which overlooks the racetrack and a food court. A centrally located lounge and bar will feature panoramic views of both the gaming floor and the acetrack. The food court will be circular in design and accessible from both the gaming floor and the grandstands. It will accommodate a number of different food outlets and provide seating for 200 guests.

The hotel, which will be operated by CCR, will include an outdoor swimming pool. The spa will be state-of-the-art and leased to an experienced operator.

The Meadows� temporary casino opened June 11, becoming the first casino in the Greater Pittsburgh region. Amazingly, the temporary casino was built in about seven months. The 82,000-square-foot temporary casino includes 1,738 slot machines, a 360-seat all-you-can-eat restaurant, a snack bar, gift shop and sports bar.

The vast majority of the construction and subsequent goods and services have come from area businesses. Close to 1,000 local jobs will be created for construction of the temporary and permanent casinos. The Meadows also hired area residents to fill nearly all of the 500 jobs in the temporary casino. (The Meadows)

« Back