Regions Midwest
Cordish, Kansas Speedway Propose Hard Rock Hotel, Casino
Aug 15, 2008
By: Barbra Murray, Contributing Editor

Kansas Entertainment L.L.C., a joint venture between The Cordish Co. and Kansas Speedway, has just presented its plan for a Hard Rock Hotel & Casino at the Kansas Speedway track in Kansas City, Kan., to the state's Racing and Gaming Commission. The team is proposing the creation of a 1.5 million-square-foot gaming resort with a development price tag of $700 million.

In competition with three other entities for a state gaming facility management license in Wyandotte County, Kansas Entertainment added a cherry atop its proposal, declaring that Kansas Speedway owner International Speedway Corp. would petition NASCAR for a second Sprint Cup Series date at the Kansas Speedway track should the joint venture's project get the green light.

Kansas Entertainment's proposed project site is located in Kansas Speedway's Turn 2 within close proximity to I-70 and I-435, and approximately 15 miles from Downtown Kansas City. The project has been designed to encompass an upscale 300-room Hard Rock Hotel; a 125,000-square-foot casino; approximately 275,000 square feet of retail space; a 2,000-seat live entertainment venue; and 117,000 square feet of meeting and convention space. A temporary casino that would be open during construction of the massive project is also part of the plan. Additionally, the site can accommodate future expansion of both casino and hotel accommodations.

Golden Gaming, Legends Sun and Pinnacle Entertainment Inc. are also vying for the right to develop a destination casino resort in Wyandotte County. Three weeks ago, citing an unfavorable lending market and potential competition form neighboring Missouri, Las Vegas Sands Corp. took itself out of the running, abandoning its proposal for a $750 million project. A victor is scheduled to be selected by Sept. 19.

Baltimore-based Cordish is a real estate development firm active in the development of mixed-use and entertainment districts, gaming, lodging, office and residential projects. The company currently has $1 billion in construction endeavors underway.

 
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