FROM THE SANDS WEBSITE: www.sandsbethworks.com
By: Ron Reese
Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem to Open its Doors on May 22
Bethlehem, PA (March 3, 2009) – Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem, a new casino and entertainment destination being developed by Las Vegas Sands Corp. (NYSE: LVS), announced today it plans to open its doors to the public for the first time on Friday, May 22, 2009. The new casino resort will hold its official Grand Opening with a series of special events on June 9, 2009.
Situated on the former site of the historic Bethlehem Steel plant in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and located approximately 60 minutes from Philadelphia and the northern New Jersey suburbs and 90 minutes from New York City, Sands Bethlehem will debut with 3,000 state-of-the-art slot machines and a variety of entertainment and dining options, including a 24-hour Café, an authentic Irish pub, a gourmet market place featuring a wide selection of cuisines, and a world renowned celebrity chef steak house. The property also includes a public parking garage that features 3,400 covered spaces and provides easy and convenient elevator access to the casino floor.
"We are excited to be opening our first property on the East Coast and in combining the proud heritage of this historic site with the excitement of casino gaming, live entertainment, and great dining, we will have created the type of unique experience we believe will annually attract millions of visitors from across the region," said Sheldon G. Adelson, chairman and chief executive officer of Las Vegas Sands Corp. "With its close proximity to New York, Philadelphia, and the northern New Jersey suburbs, we are confident Sands Bethlehem will quickly establish itself as one of the region’s top gaming and entertainment destinations."
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Mr. Adelson said this particular redevelopment of a major Brownfield site could be used as a model for other Brownfield locations across the country. He cited significant tax revenue for state and local communities, the creation of thousands of direct and indirect jobs, and increased tourism as the major benefits of such redevelopment efforts.
"The positive impact of the Sands Bethlehem is already being felt across the region as we continue to hire the more than 1,000 employees we need to operate the property. These direct jobs, and the hundreds of indirect jobs that will be created to provide ancillary support for the property, will hopefully serve as a strong catalyst for local economic growth," said Sands Bethlehem President Robert DeSalvio. "The site of the Bethlehem Steel plant holds special memories for many local residents and in honor of those memories we are proud to announce our May 22 opening. At the same time we are excited to be setting in motion an economic engine we believe has the ability to generate long-term growth and prosperity for the entire community."
DeSalvio said the May 22 opening day is subject to final Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board approval and successful completion of two pre-opening test nights.
The development of Sands Bethlehem also consists of plans for an additional 2,000 slot machines, 200,000 square feet of shopping space for popular retailers and designers, and nearly 50,000 square feet of flexible multi-purpose space, which will allow the property to accommodate meetings, conventions, and a variety of special events.
The resort’s master plan also includes the future opening of a 300-room hotel, with the rooms modeled after those at the company’s Mobil Four-Star rated Palazzo Resort in Las Vegas. In addition the complex will feature a National Museum of Industrial History, SteelStax - an arts and cultural center, and will also serve as the home for the local public broadcasting station, PBS 39 / WLVT.
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Statements in this press release, which are not historical facts, are "forward looking" statements that are made pursuant to the Safe Harbor Provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties or other factors beyond the Company's control, which may cause material differences in actual results, performance or other expectations. These factors include, but are not limited to general economic conditions, competition, new ventures, government regulation, legalization of gaming, interest rates, future terrorist acts, insurance, and other factors detailed in the reports filed by Las Vegas Sands Corp. with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
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ABOUT LAS VEGAS SANDS CORP.
Las Vegas Sands Corp. (NYSE: LVS) is the leading international developer of multi-use integrated resorts.
The Las Vegas, Nevada-based company owns and operates The Venetian Resort-Hotel-Casino, The Palazzo Resort-Hotel-Casino, and the Sands Expo and Convention Center in Las Vegas and The Venetian Macao Resort-Hotel and the Sands Macao in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) Special Administrative Region of Macao. The company also owns the Four Seasons Hotel Macao and is constructing two additional integrated resorts: Sands Casino Resort Bethlehemâ„¢ in Eastern Pennsylvania; and Marina Bay Sandsâ„¢ in Singapore.
LVS is also creating the Cotai Strip®, a master-planned development of resort-casino properties in Macao. At completion, the Cotai Strip will feature approximately 21,000 rooms from world-renowned hotel brands such as St. Regis, Sheraton, Shangri-La, Traders, Hilton, Conrad, Fairmont, Raffles, Holiday Inn, and InterContinental.
