Betting on Bristol results in economic generator with Hard Rock resort

Operators and owners tout it as the region’s premiere entertainment venue.

In an opening ceremony that rivaled a Broadway production, officials with the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino pumped out heavy beats with flashing lights–a change from regular economic development announcements in Bristol, Virginia’s past.

Co-developer and owner Jim McGlothlin said Bristol was becoming a distressed city due to a shrinking job market that included the closure of the Bristol Compressors plant and laying off more than 450 workers.

McGlothlin said it took several years to convince Virginia lawmakers to place a referendum on the Bristol ballot to let voters decide the casino issue. It passed with 79 percent approval.

“I bet you if we did the referendum today, we’d get 90 percent,” McGlothlin said in his remarks. He also called the Hard Rock development a moonshot moment for Bristol where lives will be changed with new jobs and the ripple effect of more companies being attracted to the city.

Hard Rock International CEO Jim Allen said doubt came into his mind when McGlothlin showed him the remains of the Bristol Mall and remodel plans. Allen said after researching McGlothlin’s impact on the community with millions donated to local causes, he agreed to the partnership.

Details on Hard Rock’s only Virginia location:

– 620,000 square foot resort
– 1,500 slot machines
– More than 50 table games
– 300-plus hotel rooms including suite options
– Seven restaurants
– Hard Rock Live music venue that can seat between 1,300 and 3,000

(IMAGE: J. Olsen / Bristol Broadcasting Co News)