Penn Entertainment held a ceremony on Nov. 28 to celebrate the groundbreaking of the hotel project that will be constructed next to the Hollywood Casino in Columbus.
The Hollywood Casino, located on the west side of Columbus, announced its plans to build a hotel in July. Last month, CEO and President of Penn Entertainment Jay Snowden shared his excitement for the project.
“We are thrilled to soon begin construction on a new, state-of-the-art hotel at Hollywood Casino Columbus,” Snowden said in a prepared statement. “Since opening in 2012, our Columbus property has experienced tremendous growth, and the addition of a hotel at Hollywood Casino Columbus will create a true regional destination.”
The project will create hundreds of jobs for affiliated members of the Columbus/Central Ohio Building and Trades Council, including members of Sheet Metal Workers Local 24. It will cost $100 million and will create a 180-room hotel that will be connected to the existing casino.
Other amenities of the hotel include a full-service bar and restaurant, conference and meeting rooms and a fitness center.
The project will be constructed under a Community Benefits Agreement.
The CBA will ensure at least 20 percent of the project manhours will be completed by residents of Columbus or Franklin County. Local apprentices and graduates from the Building Futures Program will account for 15 percent of total work hours.
Columbus/Central Ohio Building and Construction Trades Council Executive Secretary-Treasurer Dorsey Hager praised Penn Entertainment for recognizing the benefits of using a CBA.
The Hollywood Casino was built under a Project Labor Agreement in 2011. The work created about 400 jobs for Local 24 members and other affiliated members of the C/COBCTC.
“The Community Benefits Agreement between Penn Gaming and the Columbus Building Trades is an example of a partnership between business and labor working together to ensure the job is built safely, on time and under budget, while using a diverse workforce reflective of our community,” Hager said.
The hotel project is estimated to create around 200 construction jobs. Once the project is complete, the hotel is expected to create 100 permanent jobs.
“The best thing about a project like this is that it creates opportunities in the construction field to grow our apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs,” Hager said.
Hollywood Casino Columbus will be the first of Ohio’s four main casinos to have an attached hotel, once the project is finished. Unlike Hollywood Casino Columbus, the Jack Casino in Cleveland and the Hard Rock Casino in Cincinnati partner with neighboring downtown hotels.
The 150,000-square-foot hotel will be connected to the casino by a walkway.
Emmanuel Remy, Columbus City Councilman told ABC 6 that the west side of Columbus is in dire need of more jobs and said this project will make a huge impact.
“This is the type of investment that we need,” Remy said. “We know this will be a regional draw. We know people will come here and stay here. We are constantly looking for policy, trying to drive that kind of activity here in the city of Columbus.”
The project is estimated to be completed by the end of 2025, which is roughly how long it took C/COBCTC affiliated unions to build the Hollywood Casino.