Mohegan Sun to Build Poconos Hotel and Convention Center

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Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs, one of the largest entertainment, gaming, shopping and dining destinations in Wilkes-Barre, Penn., recently announced plans to add a 238-room hotel and convention center.

The event was immediately followed by a groundbreaking ceremony in which representatives replaced the traditional 'shovel in the ground' with a more unconventional approach of using a jackhammer to officially kick off construction.

"We are excited to announce that we are moving forward with this ambitious project, and we are even more thrilled about what this means to the local economy from a job creation and tourism perspective," said Bobby Soper, President and CEO of Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs.

The seven-story project, which is being coined Project Escape, is anticipated to create nearly 350 construction jobs over the course of the 15 months it will take to complete. In addition, roughly 270 permanent positions will be added to Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs increasing its total number of employees to nearly 2,000, and making them one of the larger employers in the region.

"Since we first opened we knew that a hotel and convention center would greatly enhance our operation and make a more complete destination," Soper added. "The timing just had to be right."

As part of Project Escape, the 238-room hotel will include a combination of standard guest rooms and suites and feature rooms with exclusive views of the Race Track, as well as a fitness center, indoor pool and a bistro serving breakfast and light fare. A new porte-cochere is also being added for additional guest convenience.

The adjacent Convention Center being added will be roughly 20,000 square feet and be available for a number of special events, meetings, concerts and more. With divisible space, the new Convention Center at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs will be able to accommodate a number of different sized groups up to 800 for seated banquets. The space can even be converted into a concert venue, holding up 1,500 seats.

Project Escape is anticipated to be completed by the end of 2013.

Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs is owned by the Mohegan Tribe of Indians of Connecticut. Situated on 400 acres in the scenic hillside of Plains, Pennsylvania, Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs was the first facility in Pennsylvania to add slot machines and is currently home to 82,000 square feet of gaming space including over 80 live table games, 2,500 slot machines and electronic table games, as well as a variety of dining and shopping options, nightlife, entertainment and live harness racing eight months out of the year.