MGM Resorts International Hires Whiting-Turner as General Contractor for $1B MGM National Harbor Project

By Adrian Maties, Associate Editor

MGM Resorts International announced the hiring of Whiting-Turner as prime general contractor for the MGM National Harbor, a nearly $1 billion gaming resort located in National Harbor, the waterfront development on the shores of the Potomac River. With this final hurdle out of the way, construction is expected to start within weeks.

MGM National Harbor is a massive development project. It calls for the construction of a 300-room luxury hotel, a casino featuring 3,600 slots and 160 table games, a 3,000‐seat theater, high-end branded retail, 35,000 square feet of meeting space, a parking structure with 5,000 spaces, and seven restaurants operated by local and celebrity chefs. The resort is scheduled to open in July 2016 and is designed to achieve LEED Gold certification.

MGM Resorts picked Whiting-Turner because of its impressive portfolio, which includes Baltimore’s Horseshoe Casino and M&T Bank (Ravens) Stadium, as well as many other important developments in the state of Maryland. Over the past five years, the company has worked on more than 1,000 projects in Maryland and D.C. with a total value of almost $8 billion. In addition to the impressive numbers, MGM Resorts chose Whiting-Turner because the two companies share the same core values.

“With its proven track record and a sterling reputation for excellence, our choice of The Whiting-Turner Contracting Co. really began to solidify when we realized that this is a company led by people who share some of our key company values, like working with minority-owned businesses and a commitment to sustainable building practices,” Lorenzo Creighton, MGM National Harbor’s president & COO, said in a statement for the press. “This is a Maryland-based company with an admirable record and reputation in Prince George’s County. Whiting-Turner has stayed true to its roots, and we feel it will be the perfect partner to bring to life our vision for MGM National Harbor.”

Site preparation work is already underway. Whiting-Turner will direct, supervise and coordinate the project’s development. Dozens of subcontractor firms and more than 2,000 construction workers will be hired during the two years of construction. The project will also create nearly 4,000 new hospitality positions.

Photo credit: www.mgmnationalharbor.com