Last December, Hard Rock International announced that construction plans for a temporary casino in Bristol, Va. are in the works. Plans for the temporary “full-service” casino include 30,000 square feet of casino space, 900 gaming slots, and 20 tables that will host a variety of games, according to a release from Hard Rock International.
“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 & casino in the state,” said Chief Operating Officer of Hard Rock International Jon Lucas.
New Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Bristol’s President, Allie Evangelista is gaúcha, from Caxias do Sul, RS. She began her career in the gaming industry in 2006 when she joined Pinnacle Entertainment as an assistant slot manager. She has since held several positions in casino and HR operations. Most recently she was VP & General Manager at Penn National’s of Hollywood Casino, Perryville, MD. Evangelista came to the United States to work as an intern at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla., while earning a degree in tourism and got two masters degrees.
During her years in hospitality, she made many friends and received an invitation to work in a casino in Missouri from a former manager she worked for in Orlando. After accepting the offer, Allie moved to Saint Louis MO in 2006 where she stayed for nine years and learned all about the gaming industry, first in slots and later in table games. Later on, Evangelista moved to Council Bluffs in Iowa as a Director of Casino Operations and Human Resources. After two years, she was transferred to Washington PA and then to Ohio.
As Vice President and General Manager of Hollywood Mahoning Valley in Austintown OH and working for Penn National Gaming, one of the largest regional gaming companies in North America, she was responsible for establishing and maintaining communication of property vision, values, goals and culture. And also had to maintain a culture of regulatory compliance according to gaming regulations in each jurisdiction, in this case the Ohio Lottery Commission.
Temporary casino will have a main floor and non-smoking and high limit gaming areas, plus a new restaurant, grab-and-go food outlet, sports bar and lounge with entertainment and adjacent smoking sports lounge. The site will have a sportsbook, Virginia lottery offices and a retail store.
“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,” Jon Lucas added. Construction will begin soon in the former women’s Belk store in the building. The temporary casino will create 600 jobs, Hard Rock anticipates.
The permanent casino, to come later, will be 90,000 square feet and cost about $400 million, creating 2,000 jobs once it is fully operational and 1,500 indirect jobs. It will have a 3,200-seat performance venue and 20,000-person capacity outdoor entertainment venue. Once operational, it is expected to bring $21 million in annual tax revenue for Bristol. Completion of the entire project is set for mid-2023 to 2024 and will include multiple restaurants, bars, an outdoor concert venue, convention space and multiple shops.
Source: GMB
