After the completion of a six-month feasibility and economic study by CBRE Hotels, it has been determined that the area around the Westmoreland Mall and Live! Casino Pittsburgh would be a great location for a luxury 200-room hotel and a 60,000-square-foot event center.

President of the Westmoreland County Chamber of Commerce, Dan DeBone, commissioned the study. He says the study proved that a development by the mall would be the perfect location because it sits along the heavily traveled Route 30 corridor, and a hotel and conference center would only help to lure more people, money, and jobs into the county.

“We think and believe that we have the right mix, and we have the right amenities to support a hotel and conference center that can generate, according to this study, over $720 million within the first 10 years,” DeBone said.

Years ago, such a facility existed across Route 30 from the mall in the form of a Sheraton Hotel and then later a Ramada Inn. But that hotel was raised to make way for more commercial development.

DeBone says that the construction phase alone would generate almost $90 million in economic activity in the county and create over 250 new jobs right away. And he says the new luxury hotel would see upwards of 120 new permanent jobs for people in Westmoreland.

KDKA reached out to Doug Weimer, chair of the Hempfield Township Board of Supervisors, who provided a statement: 

“The Hempfield Township Supervisors are very supportive of projects, like the recently studied Hotel and Conference Center at Westmoreland Mall, which will create economic growth, new jobs, and bring positive attention to our region. A project like this will act as a gateway to the Laurel Highlands and establish tourism as an economic anchor in Westmoreland County.”

Now, we are still a long way off from having actual shovels in the ground on a new hotel and convention center, but a lot of people here in Westmoreland County are hoping and betting that this will happen sooner rather than later.

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Christopher DeRose

Chris DeRose is a reporter for KDKA-TV. He has been a reporter, producer, host and actor for over 15 years, starting his professional career in Chicago back in 2007.