| SugarHouse Casino | |
|---|---|
| Location | Fishtown, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (USA) |
| Address | 1080 N. Delaware Ave. Philadelphia, PA |
| Opening date | September 23, 2010 |
| Theme | Contemporary Industrial |
| No. of rooms | 750 (in a future phase) |
| Total gaming space | 45,000 sq ft (4,200 m2) |
| Casino type | Land-Based Riverfront |
| Owner | HSP Gaming, L.P. |
| Architect | Cope Linder |
| Website | http://www.sugarhousecasino.com/ |
SugarHouse Casino is a casino entertainment development along the Delaware River in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania's Fishtown neighborhood. It was one of five stand-alone casinos awarded a gaming license on December 20, 2006 [1] by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board. On January 24, 2008, the proposed SugarHouse Casino's submerged lands license was revoked by Mayor Michael Nutter of Philadelphia.[2] The first phase opened on September 23, 2010.[3][4]
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Many neighborhod residents have sought to prevent the casino from coming to the proposed building site due to quality of life issues. Residents of Fishtown have led the creation and provided leadership to the prominent anti-casino organizations including Casino Free Philadelphia, the Philadelphia Neighborhood Alliance, and Neighbors Allied for the Best Riverfront. On the other side, Fishtown Action (FACT), the largest membership organization in the nearby community with over 600 members, has continuously supported the casino project.
The 1,300,000-square-foot (120,000 m2) casino complex is being built on the 22-acre (89,000 m2) site of the former Jack Frost Sugar Refinery, hence the "Sugar House" name. Phase I, estimated at $550 million, includes a state-of-the-art casino floor with 3,000 slot machines, and tables, along with a variety of retail and dining outlets. Future phases of the project include a 500-room hotel with health spa, a 30,000-square-foot (2,800 m2) event center, and expanded dining and retail facilities.
It is estimated that SugarHouse Casino will generate in excess of $1 billion in gaming taxes to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the City of Philadelphia over the first five years of operation.[5]
On April 15, 2008, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court convened in Philadelphia to determine if the City of Philadelphia had the right to lease the land where the casino is planning to build. The city's Mayor Nutter revoked the SugarHouse license in January and the city's lawyers claimed the city never had the authority to issue the license in the first place. The owners of SugarHouse Casino argued that the city cannot legally revoke a license to build on the riverbank.[6] On August 22, 2008 the Supreme Court ruled that the permits were legal.[7]
On October 9, 2009 groundbreaking on the project began.[8] The casino opened on September 23, 2010.[9]
On September 23, SugarHouse casino announced an expansion of the casino floor, four more restaurants, a 500-space parking garage, and an expanded riverfront. The project is expected to be completed by fall of 2013.
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