Progress on South Philly casino could be delayed until 2016

Two zoning bills — unanimously approved by the city's Rules Committee last month — were held by Councilman Kenyatta Johnson, philly.com reported.

"We're perfectly willing to cooperate throughout the duration" of the project, Cordish Companies spokesman A. Bruce Crawley said Thursday afternoon, adding that a stall was "not really unexpected."

Johnson said he was still reviewing the bills on the "massive development project," according to the report, which adds that labor issues may be behind the hold-up.

Cordish officials said the two bills in question pertained to zoning designation changes in the area of the project — from community commercial mixed-use to a special purpose district.

"I think there's great interest on the part of council," Crawley said.

Greenwood Gaming and Entertainment Inc., owner of Parx Casino, in Bensalem, Pennsylvania, partnered with Cordish on the project. Stadium Casino, which the 2 million-square-foot facility is being called, is expected to generate $400 million in economic benefits during construction and draw 8.5 million visitors a year.

Approval of the bills is needed for the project to move forward. What's more, city council has one remaining meeting date set for 2015. If not sorted out by then, the legislation would need to be reintroduced next year.

"You're talking about 5,000 jobs," Crawley said — 3,000 construction positions and 2,000 permanent casino roles, all unionized.

The project will be located near 9th and Darien streets, which is also home to the city's professional sports team's stadiums. The casino will be home to more than 2,000 slot machines and 125 table games, a 19-story hotel, spa, 3,000 parking spots inside a seven-story garage, nationally-recognized "destination restaurants" and live entertainment.