With CRIZ funding, Wind Creek will invest more than $100M in new hotel

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The development of a new hotel at Wind Creek Bethlehem could get a boost in funding from a tax incentive that would increase the investment to more than $100 million.

At a press conference today, Bethlehem Mayor Robert Donchez urged the Bethlehem Revitalization and Improvement Authority to designate Wind Creek Hospitality’s site for a new hotel as a CRIZ site.

Wind Creek Hospitality, which bought the Bethlehem casino from Las Vegas Sands Corp. for $1.3 billion last year, employs 2,350 workers and Donchez said it is the city’s largest developer and investor.

Wind Creek, a privately held affiliate of the Porch Band of Creek Indians of Alabama, wants to expand the property to include a 300-room hotel adjacent to the casino. In addition, it plans to renovate the vacant Machine Shop No. 2 building into a new hotel and an adventure/water park, as well as a spa and fitness center with a pool and meeting space.

“This new chapter of commitments begins with the construction of a new hotel tower, event space, lobby, spa, restaurant and bar,” Donchez said in his statement.

Without the CRIZ increment, the new hotel tower would be less than $90 million and would be limited to a hotel without added amenities or event space, he added.

“With CRIZ increment, the project investment would increase to over $100 million,” Donchez said. “The added increment allows them to add more amenities.”

Wind Creek wants to transfer CRIZ acreage that it owns elsewhere on its property and transfer it to the proposed hotel site.

The project will add more than 80 jobs to Wind Creek, plus additional construction jobs, he said.

In addition, the project would generate between $1 million and $1.5 million in CRIZ increment. Furthermore, the Bethlehem authority would receive up to $300,000 in funding to be used for other projects in the city.

Construction could begin in the second quarter with an anticipated completion date in the third quarter of 2021.

“Along with the hotel, I envision development of Machine Shop No. 2 and the ruins lots over the next five to 10 years,” he said. “The key is to build out that site and really make it a destination for the Northeast.”

Designating the site as a CRIZ site would allow the city to do projects that have been discussed but remain unfunded, he added.

This marks the first project at the former Sands property with the new owner. With a strong economy, it’s possible that additional development would occur at the site, he added. The property was up for sale over the last five years, which is why there wasn’t any additional development at the site, Donchez said.

“The partnership Wind Creek has with the City of Bethlehem has been one of the keys to our property’s success,” said Julia Corwin, spokesperson for Wind Creek. “The CRIZ enables us to take our planned expansion from a basic shell to a luxury hotel with all of the amenities you would expect from a premier casino resort.”