Twin River breaks ground on new 135-room hotel
Four-story complex is scheduled to open in June of 2018
LINCOLN — Twin River Casino representatives joined with state and local officials on Tuesday morning to break ground on a new hotel, to be constructed near the VIP parking lot at the north entrance.
The hotel is scheduled to open in June of 2018.
“This helps to give Twin River another amenity to offer, which helps keep them competitive in a very competitive market,” Senate President Dominick Ruggerio said. He later added, “Today Twin River is reaffirming its commitment to be one of the most vibrant economic drivers in the state.”
The $25 million plan is for a fourstory, 135-room hotel that will feature a pool and fitness center, spa, valet parking, an outdoor patio and function space. The Lincoln Planning Board in 2015 approved a plan for a 250-room
hotel, but Twin River returned to the Board this past January seeking permission to construct the hotel in two phases.
Twin River spokesperson Patti Doyle said casino management is going to see how phase one goes before making definite decisions on the number of rooms and timeline for phase two.
The hotel, which does not yet have an official name, will be run internally. Doyle said Twin River considered using a third-party operation system, such as Hampton Inn or Marriott, but stakeholders figured about 70 percent of hotel guests would be casino patrons.
“With that context, we thought: Do we really need an outside reservation system? And the answer to that was no,” she said.
The hotel is expected to generate 70 union jobs for construction, and then 30 permanent jobs once the hotel opens. The design and architecture firm is JCJ Architecture, the general contractor is Excell Construction and the construction manager is A/Z Corporation, according to a Twin River press release.
“Our expansion here sends a powerful message that we believe the economic development emphasis exhibited by state leaders will reap dividends in the future,” said John Taylor, chairman of the board of directors for Twin River Worldwide Holdings.
He added that the hotel fits with Twin River’s marketing of itself as a “convenience casino,” commenting that if adding a hotel next to the casino “doesn’t define convenience, I don’t know what does.”
Craig Sculos, vice president and general manager of Twin River Management Group, noted that the Twin River property has a history of the number seven in the years of major developments, a number considered lucky in the casino industry.
Lincoln Downs opened at the current Twin River Casino site in 1947, and Lincoln Greyhound Park began greyhound racing there in 1977. The first outdoor concert was held in 1997, and Twin River Casino opened in 2007.
“We think about the progression, the progression from thoroughbreds to greyhounds to simulcasting to VLTs to dining to entertainment to live table games,” Sculos said. He added, “For us, it’s never been about where we are; it’s about where we need to be.”
A 2005 provision in a state law stated that “no hotel will be constructed or operated at Lincoln Park or by the owner or operator of Lincoln Park (or their respective commonly controlled affiliates) in close proximity to the facility.”
But in March of 2015, Rep. Jeremiah O’Grady (DDist. 46, Lincoln, Pawtucket) introduced legislation crossing out this provision and instead saying that “construction of a hotel at or in close proximity to Lincoln Park shall remain subject to all of the town of Lincoln’s land use regulations and ordinances.”
Governor Gina Raimondo signed the legislation less than two months later. In August of 2015, the Lincoln Planning Board granted master plan approval, and then recommended that the Lincoln Town Council amend the town Comprehensive Plan and approve a zone change, as Twin River requested to move forward with hotel construction.
The Town Council unanimously accepted these applications that September, and the Planning Board unanimously granted preliminary plan approval to the hotel proposal in December of 2015.
Lincoln Town Planner Al Ranaldi noted that while people packed hearings prior to the casino’s opening in 2007, not many abutters turned out to express concerns or speak against the hotel proposal. He attributed this to the expansive buffer of trees around the property.
“I feel that they’ve been such a good neighbor that the residents don’t have concerns or much concern,” Ranaldi said.
At the groundbreaking on Tuesday, Town Administrator T. Joseph Almond commended Twin River for being such a good partner to the town.
“A lot of places come in with a big splash and a lot of promises and they tell you what they’re going to do for you,” Almond said. But Twin River has “always remained committed to this town. It says it’s going to be a responsible corporate citizen, and it [is].”
Twin River executives expressed that the feeling is mutual.
“It is a bucolic setting: open space, tremendous infrastructure, great schools, social services, youth activities,” Sculos said. “We’re proud to call Lincoln our home. We’re also very proud to do business here.”
“I feel that they’ve been such a good neighbor that the residents don’t have concerns or much concern.”