On Nov. 28, Penn Entertainment held a groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of a hotel that will be built adjacent to the Hollywood Casino in Columbus.
Jay Snowden, CEO and President of Penn Entertainment, expressed his excitement for the project in front of a small crowd.
“We are thrilled to soon begin construction on a new, state-of-the-art hotel at Hollywood Casino Columbus,” Snowden said in a prepared statement. “Since opening in 2012, our Columbus property has experienced tremendous growth, and the addition of a hotel at Hollywood Casino Columbus will create a true regional destination.”
The $100 million hotel will consist of 180 rooms, a full-service bar, restaurant, conference and meeting rooms and fitness center.
The hotel will be constructed under a Community Benefits Agreement and will create hundreds of jobs for affiliated members of the Columbus/Central Ohio Building and Construction Trades Council.
Per the CBA, at least 20 percent of the project manhours will be completed by residents of Columbus or Franklin County. Local apprentices and graduates of the Building Futures Program will account for 15 percent of total work hours.
Dorsey Hager, Executive Secretary-Treasurer of C/COBCTC, expressed his appreciation that Penn Entertainment recognized the advantages of using a CBA.
Back in 2011, the Hollywood Casino Columbus was built under a Project Labor Agreement. The project created roughly 400 jobs for affiliated members of the C/COBCTC, who constructed the $400 million casino in one year.
“The Community Benefits Agreement between Penn Gaming and the Columbus Building Trades is an example of a partnership between business and labor working together to ensure the job is built safely, on time and under budget, while using a diverse workforce reflective of our community,” Hager said.
Hager estimates the project will create around 200 construction jobs and once the project is complete, the hotel will create 100 permanent jobs. All the building trades will be needed to work on some portion of the project, Hager added.
“The best thing about a project like this is that it creates opportunities in the construction field to grow our apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs,” Hager added.
After the project is finished, Hollywood Casino Columbus will be the first of Ohio’s four main casinos to have an attached hotel. The 150,000-square-foot hotel will be connected to the casino by a walkway, allowing visitors access to all the amenities.
Columbus City Councilman Emmanuel Remy told ABC 6 that this project will make a huge impact as the west side of Columbus is in critical need of jobs.
“We know this will be a regional draw. We know people will come here and stay here. We are constantly looking for policy, trying to drive that kind of activity here in the city of Columbus.”
The project was announced in July and is expected to be completed by the end of 2025.
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