Parx Casino is one of the satellite casino license holders in the state of Pennsylvania. With this license, the operator can create a smaller gaming venue in certain locations. The company has had the license since 2019 and its proposal was stalled after issues involving the land chosen for the casino suffered a setback. Now, it seems the operator has chosen a new location in a former Lowe’s Home Improvement store.
New Spot in Shippensburg
Parx Casino has now requested a replacement site for its project at South Conestoga Road in South Central. This location was formerly home to a Lowe’s store. The property is a good location as visitors could easily travel on Rt. 11 or I-81 to reach the facility once it is open.
Another benefit to this location is that there is already a building on-site. The casino could launch much quicker as there would be no need to build a venue from the ground up. A meeting took place yesterday with the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board to discuss the new site potential.
The meeting was scheduled to move the project along. A traffic impact study needed to be reviewed, covering the size and cost involved. It could be that existing roadways need to be widened or replaced.
For the former location of the Parx Casino mini venue, it was sinkholes that became an issue. The original location was in Cumberland Valley near Exit 29 on Interstate 81. This area is one where limestone is prevalent and acid rain commonly eats away at the understructure. The issue made the land unusable for the project.
Since the time when the sinkholes were discovered, there was no public discussion for a new location until this past week. It was expected that the project would already be open, but the land issues and delays caused that not to happen.
Hearing Scheduled
Now, the new proposal must be subject to a public input hearing. No date has been set for this hearing as of yet. Of course, Parx Casino would like the hearing to take place as soon as possible so they can continue the project.
The goal now is to see the meeting take place this spring. The Lowe’s building where the casino would be constructed is vacant and consists of 140,000 square feet of space. The property comes with 21 acres of land. It is also located very close to the Shippensburg University and includes national lodging chains nearby.
There is already a solid parking lot, so the construction phase would be less complicated than if the operator was starting from scratch. So far, the new plans seem to be a great option for creating the smaller gaming venue.
The COVID-19 pandemic has also played a role in delays. Now with vaccinations under way, the hope is the project can be full steam ahead. By the time the venue opens, the vaccination process will be even further along, possibly even completed. This would help the casino to see an influx of visitors from the first day of operations.
