The Arundel Mills casino developer may start with a temporary structure.
Maryland's largest planned slots casino may start off a little smaller than planned. The developer said Wednesday that the company is examining the possibility of opening a temporary facility as early as next year while the permanent casino is constructed at Arundel Mills mall.
The move would not only allow Maryland punters to start enjoying a casino a year early, it would also start generating revenue for both the project's developer, Cordish Cos., and the state. The planned 2012 opening of the 4,750-machine casino is to take place in a building across from the mall's food court.
On Tuesday Anne Arundel County voters approved a zoning measure needed for the casino’s construction, and on Thursday morning Cordish representatives shared their plans.
"We will explore a temporary facility," said Davis S. Cordish, chairman of the company. "The logistics will be, 'Can you do both at the same time?'"
The logistics are not beyond the company, however, according to Joe Weinberg, president of Cordish, who said the company has opened temporary facilities before at casinos developed in Florida and Indiana, with temporary buildings constructed in about five months. The permanent casino planned at Arundel Mills - dubbed “Maryland Live!” -- is expected to take about 14 months to build.