What might happen after a $500 million, 330,000-square-foot casino is built in the parking lot at Arundel Mills—which already attracts more than 14 million visitors per year and stands as the No. 1 tourist destination in Maryland?
No one can say for sure just yet, but more than a few people with a professional interest and many others with a personal curiosity are looking forward to finding out what the total impact of the casino, Maryland Live!, will be.
They’re hoping for big payouts for Anne Arundel County and the state with the rise of the entertainment complex, which will eventually house 4,750 slot machines, plus a gaming floor, restaurants, performance venues, bars, and support space.
Just how much might the economic impact be? Maryland Live! is slated to generate $300 million in construction spending and created approximately 2,500 jobs during the project; after its finished, it’s scheduled to spur $60 million annually in spending on goods and services.
Then the casino is predicted to generate more than $400 million per year in tax revenue to support local schools, which would make it the single largest annual and ongoing source of revenue for Maryland’s children; plus another approximately $30 million in annual revenue to improve the roads, make the streets safer, care for seniors, and provide other services to Anne Arundel County residents.
That’s the plan of the powers that be, including the Baltimore-based developer, the Cordish Company, which has a track record with similar projects like the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino complexes in Hollywood and Tampa, Fla.
The Arundel Mills Corporate District currently offers three million square feet of retail, entertainment, and commercial space, with more than 1,400 hotel rooms located within one mile of the property, including the new boutique Hotel at Arundel Preserve.
Given the powerful draw of the Arundel Mills Commercial District, the synergies that will take place when the casino opens seem obvious and will offer adults another reason to visit, stay longer and, of course, come again.
“After a day of shopping, visitors can relax in one of our lounges, stay for dinner, catch a live performance of one of their favorite bands in the showroom—and perhaps try their luck on the casino floor,” says Robert Norton, president and general manager, of Maryland Live! Casino. “[The casino] provides visitors to the mall with a total entertainment experience.”
And that experience will be available soon. Norton says Maryland Live!’s construction schedule is on target for the opening for Phase I this summer. It will include approximately 3,000 slots and electronic table games (like Blackjack, Roulette, Mini-Baccarat, and Pai-Gow Poker); several bars/lounges; the Live! Market Buffet and Market To Go; Noodles, an Asian noodle bar; and some of the casino’s national and restaurant partners, including Phillips Seafood.
In addition, 300 large plasma screens will energize the floor with dances of color, action, and mood-setting sound. More slots, the showroom and a fine dining steakhouse will be included in Phase II, which is slated for completion in late 2012.
Having the opening date on the horizon has also meant the opening of the casino’s employment center, which is in Hanover, and the launch of recruitment efforts to fill 1,500 new jobs. They will be posted regularly during the next several months at www.jobsatmarylandlivecasino.com
“We anticipate mass recruiting for the bulk of our casino positions, food and beverage, and other front line staff will roll out through March,” says Norton.
All of the excitement means not only a unique and interesting new destination for the state, and one more reason to visit Arundel Mills. Do you want to be one of the first to get a sneak peek at the casino? Then visit the preview center, which offers an interactive display that takes visitors “inside” Maryland Live!, one of the largest gaming and entertainment destinations in the country.
Included are renderings of the interior, a video tour through the property, and even free online games, It’s located within the mall at Arundel Mills, near the Bass Pro Shop, across from Victoria’s Secret.
