SugarHouse Casino Expansion Ups the Ante in Philly

By Barbra Murray, Contributing Editor

SugarHouse Casino, Philadelphia

Philadelphia—Players are now seeing double at SugarHouse Casino in Philadelphia. HSP Gaming L.P., owner and operator of the gaming destination, has completed a $164 million expansion project, taking the property from 108,000 square feet to 260,000 square feet.

“When SugarHouse opened in September 2010, it was designed and constructed as an interim facility, with future plans for a larger, full-service gaming and entertainment complex. Today, we’re thrilled to celebrate our expansion with many high-end amenities,” Wendy Hamilton, general manager of SugarHouse Casino, told Commercial Property Executive.

Generally, it’s not a bad time for casinos to spread out in Pennsylvania and surrounding states, and the proof is in the numbers. “The Northeast region has been the fastest growing gaming market since 2007, increasing gaming revenues by 19.5 percent,” as noted in a new report by accounting and business consulting firm RubinBrown L.L.P.

SugarHouse’s size enhancement comes six years after the Delaware Riverfront property debuted as Philadelphia’s very first casino, sprouting up on a 22-acre site that had been home to the Jack Frost Sugar Refinery. The expansion, designed by Cope Linder Architects, was a multifaceted endeavor that increased the casino’s floor space via the new 6,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art Poker Night in America Poker Room. Additionally, gaming offerings grew by 20 percent with the addition of a host of new table games and slots, and the new High Limit Lounge.

HSP’s vision wasn’t all about gaming space, however. The ownership company also enhanced SugarHouse with non-gaming amenities, including The Marketplace, where four new eateries have been added to the property’s dining lineup. The project also yielded the Event Center, featuring 30,000 square feet of multipurpose space. And HSP didn’t overlook the practical; the company also constructed a 600,000-square-foot, seven-story parking facility with 1,500 spaces. Skanska USA Building Inc. and Keating Consulting L.L.C., spearheading construction management and development management, respectively, were also part of the team that made the SugarHouse project a reality.

The casino business has been faring well in Philadelphia in general. Raking in roughly $1.2 billion in revenue in 2015, Philadelphia ranks as the third top market in the Northeast and the sixth in the nation, per the RubinBrown report.