Latest news with #TimDrehkoff
Yahoo
28-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
S.B. Ballard Construction to lead $65m hotel project in Portsmouth
Rush Street Gaming and Rivers Casino Portsmouth have appointed S.B. Ballard Construction Company as the general contractor for The Landing Hotel, a $65m privately funded project in Portsmouth, Virginia, US. The hotel will be an eight-storey structure adjacent to Rivers Casino Portsmouth, overlooking a water feature. It will feature 106 guest rooms, including 32 suites and two 'super suites' with indoor and outdoor spaces. Additional amenities include a Lobby Bar, executive board rooms, and other facilities on the first floor. Construction is scheduled to commence in the coming months on Victory Boulevard, with the hotel anticipated to open in early 2027. Rush Street Gaming and Rivers Casino Portsmouth CEO Tim Drehkoff said: 'We are proud to continue our investment in Portsmouth and to be working again with a local company to expand our offerings for the Hampton Roads community and the Commonwealth of Virginia.' S.B. Ballard Construction has prior experience with the site, having completed the Rivers Casino Portsmouth building, a 270,000ft² gaming and entertainment complex that opened in January 2023 as Virginia's first permanent casino. The new hotel project aims to involve local minority, women, and veteran-owned businesses at every stage. S.B. Ballard will focus on selecting subcontractors and suppliers from these groups. The Landing Hotel is expected to create approximately 200 temporary construction jobs and 60 permanent positions at Rivers Casino Portsmouth. Rivers Casino and Rush Street Gaming will independently own and operate The Landing Hotel Portsmouth. They also manage The Landing Hotel in Pittsburgh and Schenectady, as well as Riversuites in Philadelphia. S.B. Ballard CEO and owner Stephen Ballard said: 'We're honoured to collaborate with Rush Street Gaming and Rivers Casino on The Landing Hotel, bringing together our shared commitment to quality, community, and long-term growth. 'From design through delivery, we're proud to be building a landmark that reflects the strength of this partnership and the promise of this city. This is another step forward in the economic development of Portsmouth and the region.' "S.B. Ballard Construction to lead $65m hotel project in Portsmouth" was originally created and published by World Construction Network, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
Business Wire
25-07-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
Rush Street Gaming and Rivers Casino Portsmouth Select
PORTSMOUTH, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Rush Street Gaming and Rivers Casino Portsmouth today announced S.B. Ballard Construction Company as the general contractor of The Landing Hotel —a $65 million privately funded development and upcoming addition to the casino's world-class entertainment and hospitality offerings. Construction is expected to start on Victory Boulevard this summer, and the hotel is expected to open in early 2027. S.B. Ballard Construction successfully completed the construction of the 270,000 square feet gaming and entertainment complex, Rivers Casino Portsmouth, which opened as Virginia's first permanent casino in January 2023. 'We are proud to continue our investment in Portsmouth and to be working again with a local company to expand our offerings for the Hampton Roads community and the Commonwealth of Virginia,' said Tim Drehkoff, CEO of Rush Street Gaming and Rivers Casino Portsmouth. The Landing Hotel Portsmouth will utilize local minority, women, and veteran-owned businesses in every phase of its construction and operation. S.B. Ballard will cultivate and select prospective subcontractors and suppliers with an emphasis on SWaM and DBE vendors. The Landing Hotel project will bring roughly 200 new temporary construction jobs to the region and 60 new permanent positions to Rivers Casino Portsmouth. In addition to the new hospitality tax for the City of Portsmouth, the hotel is expected to drive additional local commerce and gaming, restaurant, conference, and event revenues by supporting weekend and overnight visits to the area. The Landing Hotel Portsmouth will be an upscale eight-story destination directly adjacent to Rivers Casino Portsmouth—overlooking the property's water feature. The hotel will have 106 well-appointed and generously sized guest rooms, including 32 expansive suites, among them two 'super suites' providing both indoor and outdoor space. A sophisticated Lobby Bar is planned near the reception area on the first floor, where two private executive board rooms and other amenities will also be available. 'This project represents more than just a new hotel—it's a continued investment in Portsmouth's future,' states S.B. Ballard CEO and owner Stephen Ballard. 'We're honored to collaborate with Rush Street Gaming and Rivers Casino on The Landing Hotel, bringing together our shared commitment to quality, community, and long-term growth. From design through delivery, we're proud to be building a landmark that reflects the strength of this partnership and the promise of this city. This is another step forward in the economic development of Portsmouth and the region.' The Landing Hotel Portsmouth will be independently owned and operated by Rivers Casino and Rush Street Gaming, which also owns and operates The Landing Hotel in Pittsburgh and Schenectady and Riversuites in Philadelphia. EDITOR'S NOTE: High-resolution renderings of The Landing Hotel Portsmouth, courtesy of KOO Architecture & Interiors of Chicago and Rush Street Gaming are available here: TLH Renderings. About Rush Street Gaming Rush Street Gaming and its affiliates have developed and currently operate successful casinos in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Des Plaines, Illinois; Portsmouth, Virginia; and Schenectady, New York. All Rush Street Gaming casinos have been voted a 'Best Place to Work' or 'Top Workplace' by their team members. Rush Street Gaming affiliates also developed and previously operated the Fallsview Casino Resort in Niagara Falls, Canada. For more information, please visit About Rivers Casino Portsmouth Rivers Casino Portsmouth is a world-class destination located along Victory Boulevard, south of I-264. As part of Portsmouth's New Entertainment District, the complex currently features a full-service casino, poker room, BetRivers Sportsbook, event and conference venues, premier restaurants, and more. Rivers Casino Portsmouth is Virginia's first permanent casino and the latest addition to Rush Street Gaming, one of the fastest-growing casino and entertainment companies in the country. For more information about Rivers Casino Portsmouth, including ongoing career opportunities, please visit About S.B. Ballard Construction Company S.B. Ballard Construction Company (SBBCC) is a family-owned firm founded in 1978 and located in Virginia Beach. When you work with SBBCC, you gain an experienced local team with well-established relationships with the entire Hampton Roads Region. SBBCC is proud of its partnerships within Hampton Roads and its seamless ability to maneuver through processes within every city. They have constructed over $1 billion and nearly 10 million SF of experience in the Hampton Roads area. They have helped shape the region's vision of providing a fun, vibrant, entertainment, and cultural community, with ample resources for its residents and guests. The projects SBBCC has constructed throughout the city have positively and profoundly impacted the residents' and guests' experience. To learn more about SBBCC, visit
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
World Trade Center developer Larry Silverstein's bid for NYC casino gets a big boost
World Trade Center developer Larry Silverstein strengthened his bid to open a casino on Manhattan's Far West Side with an addition to his team that already has a foothold in the Empire State gaming industry. Silverstein Properties will be joined by gaming operator Rush Street — which operates Rivers Casino and Resort in Schenectady — as it looks to build the Avenir, a casino and 46-story mixed use complex on vacant property at 11th Avenue and 41st Street. 'We are excited to announce our partnership with Rush Street Gaming, as well as Greenwood Gaming and Entertainment to create a home-grown entertainment complex on Manhattan's Far West Side,' founder and chairman Larry Silverstein said in a statement. 'Each of our organizations is family-owned, multi-generational, and deeply committed to the neighborhoods in which we work and live,' he added. 'Our company has been part of the West Side for over 40 years, and we look forward to continuing to work together on a project that will bring much needed jobs, tax revenue, economic development, and affordable housing to the City and State.' Up to three casino licenses in the New York downstate region are up for grabs and bids are due to regulators by June 27. Rush Street will join Greenwood Gaming, which operates two casinos in Pennsylvania. 'We greatly admire what Silverstein Properties has accomplished in terms of developing important projects in New York City,' said Tim Drehkoff, CEO of Rush Street Gaming. 'Our past projects in Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and Schenectady were each the first destination casinos in their respective cities, and we look forward to working with Silverstein, Greenwood and the Far West Side community on the Avenir.' The Avenir project site is located on 92,000 square feet of vacant space just north of the Jacob Javits Convention Center that is fully owned and controlled by Silverstein and is shovel-ready upon approval, according to the company. Building the complex is projected to create 4,000 union construction jobs and more than 5,000 permanent union jobs when completed, according to the developer. There is stiff competition for the three casino licenses. To the south for example, Related Companies/Wynn Resorts has proposed a massive $12 billion casino complex to build in Hudson Yards. There are other casino proposals pitched at sites in Times Square, by the East River waterfront, and in Queens by Citi Field, The Bronx and Coney Island, Brooklyn. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Business Wire
14-05-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
Rivers Casino and Rush Street Gaming Double Down on Education
CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Congratulations, Class of 2025! Commencement season is here, with colleges and universities across the U.S. celebrating new graduates and their achievements. But with the rewards of a college degree often come the long-term burdens of student debt. Higher education analysts estimate it can take anywhere from 10 to 30 years to repay student loans, depending on the amount borrowed and the repayment plan. To help lighten that load, Rush Street Gaming is offering a head start — with no strings attached. Eligible full-time Team Members at Rivers Casino with qualifying student loans can receive up to $1,000 per year toward their student debt, fully paid by the company. Unlike other programs that require employee contributions, this is entirely a benefit — essentially free money toward their loans. 'Education is invaluable, but debt can be stressful,' says Dawn Reynolds Pettit, chief human resources officer of Rush Street Gaming and Rivers Casino. 'We're proud to help Team Members crush those college loans, achieve their financial goals sooner and invest in their future. As an industry leader in offering this benefit, we're committed to helping our Team Members make their student loan debt a thing of the past.' More than 100 Team Members signed up for Rivers Casino's student debt repayment program within a week of its launch, and enrollment has steadily continued. New Bill Keena Scholarship Supports Rivers Casino Team Members and Their Families In addition to student debt repayment, Rivers Casino has introduced the Bill Keena Honorary Scholarship Program, named in recognition of the company's recently retired longtime chief operating officer. The Keena Scholarship supports Team Members in managerial roles or below — and their dependents — who plan to pursue higher education at a college or vocational school. The program is administered by Scholarship America ®, the nation's largest provider of scholarships and other education support services for corporations, foundations, associations and individuals. The Keena Scholarship is an addition to the robust scholarships already offered by Rivers Casinos, which collectively have awarded over $7 million to more than 500 students to date. For many recipients, the scholarships have been a game changer. One shared, 'It eases my mind going into the school year with less stress.' Another noted, 'It pushes me to work harder this upcoming semester, challenge myself and accomplish all of my goals.' A third recipient expressed, 'This scholarship feels like an extension of the gratitude I receive every day from my team for my work and dedication. The support has made me so excited to continue growing my career here.' 'Bill Keena remains a staunch advocate for Rivers and Rush Street Team Members, supporting both their personal goals and professional growth,' said Tim Drehkoff, CEO of Rush Street Gaming and Rivers Casino. 'This scholarship honors Bill's legacy and our commitment to Team Members. We're proud to offer this scholarship alongside the others available to our Team Members and their families. Our mission is to support the growth and enrichment of lives, careers and communities.' Tuition Assistance and Paid Dealer School Training Part- and full-time Team Members at Rivers Casino are eligible for up to $5,000 in annual tuition assistance. This benefit supports those pursuing undergraduate or graduate studies and may cover tuition, fees and books. In addition, candidates accepted into Rivers Casino's Table Games Dealer School receive training and certification at no cost. Other career-building opportunities include on-the-job training, job transfers and internal promotions. All Rivers Casino locations, including The Landing Hotel, Riversuites and Rush Street's corporate office, are proud to offer these ongoing education benefits, along with 401(k) programs with employer matching, comprehensive and affordable health insurance, competitive wages with market-based increases, and more. About Rush Street Gaming Rush Street Gaming and its affiliates have developed and operate Rivers Casino in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Des Plaines, Illinois (Chicago area); Schenectady, New York; and Portsmouth, Virginia. By placing an emphasis on superior design and outstanding customer service, Rush Street Gaming has become one of the leading casino developers in the United States. Rush Street's casinos employ approximately 6,000 Team Members and generate more than $1.5 billion in annual gaming revenue. All Rush Street Gaming casinos have been voted a 'Best Place to Work' or 'Top Workplace' by their Team Members. For more information, visit
