Cordish Co. approached by Hard Rock/Banks partnership
Less than two weeks before the deadline for developers to submit plans to develop five slot machine facilities around the state, several possible bidders have emerged along with questions about how state officials will handle the bidding process.
Proposals to develop slots locations in Baltimore City, Anne Arundel County, Cecil County, Worcester County, and Rocky Gap State Park are due to the state’s seven-member Video Lottery Facility Location Commission on Feb. 2.
On Monday, Baltimore-based Banks Contracting Co. and Hard Rock International announced they had formed a partnership to bid on a slots location, but did not specify which site they would pursue.
Hard Rock previously developed hotel/casino combinations for the Seminole tribe in Tampa and Hollywood, Fla., in partnership with another Baltimore developer, The Cordish Co. Company Vice President Jon Cordish said Hard Rock and Banks have contacted the developer about forming a three-way partnership.
“We have partnered with both Hard Rock and Banks separately on multiple occasions, and have the opportunity to do so here,” Cordish said in an e-mail to The Examiner. The company had previously been interested in the Baltimore and Anne Arundel licenses.
Also in the mix are Magna Entertainment Corp., the owner of Pimlico Race Course and Laurel Park, and Penn National Gaming Inc., which owns Charles Town Races and Slots in West Virginia and has expressed interest in the Cecil County license. Several other developers were present for a Q and A session with state officials last week.
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