PHOTOS: SugarHouse “Tops Off” Expansion Project With Ceremony, Ups Community Contribution By Half Million Dollars
SugarHouse celebrated the placement of the final beam of the casino’s $164 million expansion project on the morning of August 13. To commemorate this milestone, the SugarHouse team hosted a “Topping-Off Ceremony” at the foot of the newly erected building. The expansion is scheduled to open by year-end 2015 and will bring 500 new, full-time jobs, a larger gaming facility, several restaurants and multipurpose event center.
The final beam was hoisted into the air by a crane and placed atop the lantern, which marks the highest elevation point of the expanded casino building. An evergreen tree was attached to that final beam and raised along with an American flag and a banner signed by SugarHouse executives, employees, and construction workers.
The final beam was hoisted into the air with cranes and placed atop the new construction./Max Pulcini
Before the tree-bearing beam was lifted and placed, remarks were given by Greg Carlin, CEO of Rush Street Gaming, Wendy Hamilton, general manager of SugarHouse Casino, State Senator Larry Farnese, Philadelphia City Councilman Mark Squilla, and Deputy Mayor for Economic Development and Director of Commerce for the City of Philadelphia Alan Greenberger. Rich Levins, vice chairman of the Penn Treaty Special Services District (PTSSD), which recently received a $1 million annual pledge from SugarHouse Casino, was also on hand to mark this milestone. The PTSSD had been receiving $500,000 in grant money annually from SugarHouse for use in the neighborhood, but the completion of the expansion has increased the total amount to $1 million.
Here are a few photos from the event. Look for a more expansive story in next week’s edition of The Spirit.
Wendy Hamilton, SugarHouse General Manager, addresses the crowd./Max Pulcini
The new SugarHouse expansion promises 500 new jobs to Philadelphia./Max Pulcini
City Councilman Mark Squilla addresses the crowd at the August 13th event./Max Pulcini
A construction worker signs the banner that was lifted up along with the final beam./Max Pulcini
Local construction workers stand under the building they helped build./Max Pulcini
