Maryland Live! gets green light on USD 150M expansion

The Cordish Companies plans to invest $150m on new facilities at Maryland Live! Casino that includes an upscale hotel, new dining options and a conference centre.

The second hotel at the property will be the tallest building in Anne Arundel Country and house 300 suites. The conference centre will accommodate 4,000 people and be available for the county, public schools and non-profits free of charge. Cordish, owner and operator of the Arundel Mills casinos, will be responsible for the financing of the large-scale project.

City county approval included a $22.5m tax incremental financing bond for the infrastructure improvements for the hotel and conference centre expansion, which will create 1,000 new permanent and construction jobs. The repayment of the bond will be deducted from new revenues generated by the hotel and conference centre.

“We extend our thanks to County Executive Schuh, Councilman Pete Smith, and all members of County Council for their thoughtful consideration and support of this important economic development initiative,” said Joe Weinberg, Managing Partner of The Cordish Companies. “We are committed to the growth and expansion of Maryland Live! Casino and maintaining our position as the premier gaming and entertainment destination in the state.”

The expansion comes as MGM Resorts readies a mid-2016 opening of its $925m National Harbor resort. A spokeswoman for Maryland Live! Casino, which opened in 2012 at the cost of $500m, said a timeline for the expansion would be announced soon. The facility currently offers some 3,200 slot machines, 122 gaming tables and 52-table poker room.