BETHLEHEM, Pa. — The cost of the expansion of Wind Creek Bethlehem casino and entertainment center has risen to $160 million because of supply chain issues and labor shortages caused by the coronavirus pandemic, company officials said Thursday.
The expansion will include a 23,000-square-foot main ballroom able to accommodate a 500-person wedding, in addition to doubling the size of the hotel and almost tripling the size of the complex’s meeting space.
- Wind Creek Bethlehem's expansion was delayed because of the pandemic, but will likely open in March
- The expansion will almost triple the complex's meeting space and double the size of the hotel
- The project will bring new jobs to the area in hospitality and food service
The property will have 552 hotel rooms and 60,000 square feet of meeting space.
The details were revealed during a media tour of the expansion, which likely will open in March, according to Julia Corwin, Wind Creek Hospitality’s director of corporate communications.
Corwin said the expansion is needed because some casinos around New York City have applied for licenses for table games, which could take business away from Wind Creek.
“In order to solidify that we are still a destination resort, it was necessary to expand, which was really why we went ahead and did this project,” Corwin said.
The expansion was supposed to happen earlier, but it was delayed because of the pandemic.
“People want to come back out, so we think this is just the right time to accommodate those who are looking to return to normal, even if it’s a new normal."Julia Corwin, Director of Corporate Communications for Wind Creek Hospitality
Corwin said that while not as many people are coming to Wind Creek Bethlehem as before the pandemic, the trends are going in the right direction. She said the company sees a demand for its services, which is why it’s the right time to expand.
“People want to come back out, so we think this is just the right time to accommodate those who are looking to return to normal, even if it’s a new normal,” Corwin said.
Corwin said the project will bring many new jobs in hospitality and food service to the area, and will put the Lehigh Valley on the map in a way it hasn’t been before.
“It gets the Lehigh Valley's name out,” Corwin said. “And I think that's the most exciting piece of this project.”
Wind Creek Bethlehem has more than 3,000 slot machines, 200 table games, hotel accommodations, a spa and salon, live entertainment, outlet shopping, kids’ activities and restaurants.
The property opened as Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem in 2009 and was acquired by Wind Creek Hospitality in 2018.
Wind Creek Hospitality operates five casinos across the US and two in the Caribbean. The company is an entity of the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, an indigenous tribe in Alabama.
Wind Creek Bethlehem will host a Bridal Show and Ballroom Sneak Peek for the public on Nov. 15. Registration is required. The company also offers tours of the space to couples interested in booking it for their wedding.
