Westmoreland convention center study revealed, casino area is preferred site

An $86 million hotel and conference center adjacent to Live Casino Pittsburgh at Westmoreland Mall could infuse more than $720 million into the community in just 10 years.

That was the conclusion of a six-month study commissioned by the Westmoreland County Chamber of Commerce.

Local leaders are hopeful the study will entice investors to move forward with the project, which they say could transform tourism in the county.

TribLive this week obtained copies of feasibility and economic impact studies that recommended construction of a 200-room luxury hotel with space for meetings and banquets. The hotel could be complemented by a 50,000-square-foot event center that would host conferences and conventions.

It’s a project that is predicted to generate nearly $270 million in direct revenue, contribute another $16.2 million in taxes paid to local government and provide more than 120 jobs in its first decade in operation.

“Where we go from here is that the chamber now has this information, it’s really about our local leaders, state, local and county, it’s having those conversations and that’s really beyond the chamber at this point,” said Westmoreland County Chamber of Commerce President Dan DeBone. “The good thing is these studies indicate the possibilities of what this could be.”

Neither study included details about how the project would be financed, but suggested brand-name hoteliers along with owners of Westmoreland Mall and Live Casino Pittsburgh be major players in the potential construction and operation of the proposed facilities.

Live Casino Pittsburgh, at a public hearing in June before the state gaming commission, referred to the convention center feasibility study findings and presented an artist rendering of a high-rise hotel that could be built in what is now a portion of the parking lot between the former Sears store and the casino structure.

Officials with Cordish Companies, the Maryland-based firm that owns the Westmoreland casino, did not respond to a request for comment Thursday.

Cordish also operates major hotel, event centers and casinos throughout the country, including facilities in Philadelphia, Baltimore, St. Louis and Texas.

Meanwhile, Stacey Keating, spokeswoman for Westmoreland Mall owner CBL properties, in an email affirmed her company’s interest in pursuing the convention center. She said no discussions have been held about selling or leasing land for the project.

“CBL is supportive of a future hotel and conference center project. The feasibility study was the first step in a long process, and we have to let that process continue to play out,” Keating wrote.

Westmoreland’s chamber raised $20,000 from private business and Hempfield contributed $5,000 for for Dallas-based CBRE Group Inc. to conduct the studies, which ultimately determined there is a local market for a large-scale hotel and event center to bolster tourism in the region.

Planners said the proposed hotel would be the largest in the county and add to the current inventory, which includes 578 rooms at eight properties along the 10-mile stretch of Route 30 west of Greensburg to Latrobe.

The study identified 12 branded upper-mid to upscale properties with 1,059 guest rooms throughout the region stretching toward Monroeville and south toward Scottdale. None would directly compete with a proposed upscale hotel at the mall, according to the document.

Westmoreland County has been without a larger high-end hotel and conference center since the closing in 2020 of the Ramada Greensburg Hotel and Conference Center across Route 30 from the mall.

Hempfield Supervisors’ Chairman Doug Weimer said the township is ripe for a convention center and the proposed mall site is the preferred location for the project.

“We’ve been contacted about events, but because of a lack of event space and a lack of room, we’ve missed out,” Weimer said. He suggested township leaders are willing to adjust local zoning and regulatory codes to enable a hotel and convention center project, but said at this time it is unlikely Hempfield will commit finances towards its construction.

Annette Elliott, owner of Show Masters Inc., a Virginia-based company that promotes major trade shows up and down the East Coast, said the lack of a large facility has prevented her from scheduling events in Westmoreland County. The company is involved in a gun show this weekend at the Monroeville Convention Center.

“You don’t have a building big enough there that we could rent,” Elliott said. “These things can bring in millions of dollars in revenue to a community. There’s definitely a benefit to it.”

Officials concede the convention center’s proposed price tag is an obstacle.

Need for funding

Westmoreland County Commissioner Sean Kertes said the county supports the effort but stopped short committing any financial resources. He suggested the county could assist in securing grants and loans for the project.

“Tourism is such a major staple of this county, so nothing is off the table until we see budgets,” Kertes said.

The county, through its Industrial Development Corp., has contributed funds and helped secure grant funding for large-scale projects such as construction of industrial parks. It traditionally has not focused on tourism; however, a convention center project was a goal in the county’s comprehensive plan published in 2019.

“Our mission is to invest in upgrades that create economic impact. We haven’t done something to this level yet. There has to be decisions made about the structure of this project, whether it’s done privately, if it’s a public-private partnership or done with public funds,” said WCIDC Executive Director Jason Rigone.

The convention center proposal calls for what amounts to a high-rise hotel, complete with 15,000 square feet of banquet space that connects with the casino and mall. An adjoining event center would be built that could hold trade shows, conventions and sporting events.

Both are essential to the financial outlook of the project, and no other locations were given serious consideration for the project, according to the study.

The Monroeville Convention Center, near Monroeville Mall, includes about 100,000 square feet of event space and hosts events most weekends throughout the year. Officials insist a proposed center would not directly compete with Monroeville or other larger events that are held in Pittsburgh at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center.

“Now the appetite, I think, is going to be out there in terms of what the possibilities of what this could look like, what this means for our region, and I guarantee you, at least from my perspective, there’s going to be a lot of interest out there. I’m hoping the chamber will continue to lead these discussions to continue to work with the powers that be throughout this region,” DeBone said.