Hard Rock Bristol Casino Spurs Nearby Apartment Complex in Virginia

Posted on: December 27, 2021, 10:47h. 

Last updated on: January 21, 2022, 10:48h.

Devin O'Connor @CasinoorgDevinO Read More

Expertise: Asia Pacific Gaming, Commercial Gaming, Legislation, Politics.

Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Bristol, being built on the former grounds of the Bristol Mallm is already fueling nearby economic development.

It will be at least another year until the $300 million Hard Rock Bristol casino and resort is completed. But a regional real estate developer is ready to bet big on the Virginia-Tennessee border town.

On January 11, the Bristol City Council will hear a proposal for a new apartment complex located along Island Road, just west of the future casino property. The initial plan calls for as many as 400 residential units.

The council hearing invites members of the public to attend and express their opinions on the residential pitch. Bristol Mayor Anthony Farnum wasted no time in expressing his own support for the project.

It’s exciting,” Farnum told WCYB NBC5. “I think developers are taking note that the casino will be coming soon and the overall positive economic benefits that it will bring to this area.”

Hard Rock Bristol is one of four casinos being developed in Virginia. Casinos are also being built in Norfolk, Portsmouth, and Danville.

Regional Economic Activity

Virginia ended its prohibition on commercial casino gambling in 2020. They did so with a bill that allowed struggling cities to ask their constituents if they believe authorizing a casino would help revive their regions. Five cities met the bill’s qualifying criteria, Richmond voters being the only group to reject a gambling undertaking.

The casinos are to be used as economic catalysts for the distressed towns. Though construction is only beginning in Bristol, the forthcoming casino is quickly spurring such investment.

The proposed apartment development must receive rezoning authorization from the Bristol council to allow higher density housing on the property adjacent to the casino.

The permanent casino will house 2,700 slots, 100 tables, and a sportsbook. The resort’s hotel towers, which are being built from the ground up, will come with 750 guestrooms, a concert hall with 3,200 seats, a convention center, a spa, and an array of restaurant options.

Bristol Music

Bristol is designated by Congress as the birthplace of country music because it is the site of the 1927 Bristol Sessions recordings produced by Ralph Peer for the Victor Talking Machine Company. 

The 1927 Bristol Sessions contained the first recordings of the Carter Family, the “First Family of Country Music,” and Jimmie Rodgers, the “Father of Country Music.” The 1927 Bristol Sessions were so commercially successful that they ushered country music to the mainstream. They are also significant due to the sound technology used to record them.  

The resort will additionally feature an outdoor entertainment venue capable of hosting 20,000 people.