Shawn Morrow

This story appeares courtesy of the Philadelphia Inquirer

Sands shifts to Bethlehem casino

The slots parlor at the ex-steel plant will be the sole U.S. gambling site bearing the famed name.

Associated Press

BETHLEHEM, Pa. - The $800 million slots parlor to be built on the site of the former Bethlehem Steel plant will be named the Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem, reviving the Sands name for American gamblers.

Bethlehem's casino will be the only one in the United States using the Sands name. There is one in China and another under construction in Singapore.

"This is a great opportunity to reintroduce the brand in the United States for gaming," casino president Robert DeSalvio said Friday. "All in one, we get a wonderful city, a great brand, and a good locational identifier."

The famed Sands casino in Las Vegas, which opened in 1950 and was frequented by Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr., was torn down to build the Venetian. The Sands in Atlantic City was demolished last summer.

The name of the Bethlehem casino, which DeSalvio said had been tested with 18 focus groups and in an online survey, made Mayor John Callahan happy.

"We absolutely love it," he said. "It calls out Bethlehem as a destination. From our standpoint, that's exciting."

Tony Hanna, the city's director of community and economic development, also liked it.

"Any time anybody markets a product and uses the name Bethlehem - for years it was Bethlehem Steel - it, I think, certainly gives the city more recognition around the country and around the world," Hanna said.

But Esther Lee, a member of the anti-casino group Citizens for a Better Bethlehem, was displeased.

"We used to be known as the Christmas City. I don't like the sound of this at all," Lee said. "This will transform how we are viewed, and ultimately who we are."

Visit Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem Website

Below is an article published by the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation

Lehigh Valley Climbs To No. 30 On Forbes "Best" List

LEHIGH VALLEY, PA - March 27, 2008 - The Lehigh Valley jumped to 30th place on the annual list of "Best Places For Business and Careers" published this week by Forbes magazine, making it the only metropolitan region in Pennsylvania and one of only two in the Northeastern United States ranked among the top 50 on the list.

The Allentown Metropolitan Statistical Region, which includes Lehigh, Northampton and Carbon counties in Pennsylvania and Warren County in New Jersey, got high marks for "Costs of Doing Business" and "Job Growth" and slightly lower in the "Educational Attainment" categories reviewed by the magazine and its economic research firm, Economy.com of West Chester, PA.

The only metro region in the Northeast to rank above Allentown was Mercer County, New Jersey, which ranked 21st among the Top 200 Metropolitan Regions reviewed by the magazine and its research partner.

Forbes writer Kurt Badenhausen said "Costs of Doing Business" and "Educational Attainment" are among the more heavily weighted categories considered in the rankings. He added that net population migration and income growth are also key.

"There is something to be said for showing up in the Top 50 as a Northeastern city," Badenhausen said, noting that business costs and net migration are most often cited as drawbacks for those regions.

Badenhausen said the Allentown region's impressive climb over the past two years was also noted by the researchers. Allentown was No. 43 last year and No. 79 in 2006.

Other factors considered in the rankings are Costs of Living, Crime Rate, Culture and Leisure opportunities and number of Colleges.

Harrisburg ranked 53rd in this year's list, Scranton was 81, Pittsburgh 83 and York was listed at No. 99.

"The Lehigh Valley's progressive gains in our national ranking and leadership position in the Forbes list reflects the growing recognition of our region as a preferred location to live, work, play and build a business," said Bob Wendt, Director of Research for the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation. "It also reflects the strength of our community partners in the private and public sectors, who work collaboratively to create a welcoming business environment and quality of place to attract a capable and qualified workforce."

For more information or to view the Forbes story and the full list, go to: http://www.forbes.com/2008/03/19/best-career-cities-biz-bestplaces08-cx_kb_0319placeintro.html

Below is an article published in Fortune Small Business Magazine 2008.

Bethlehem,Pa No. 58 of 100

Population: 75,448
Pro: Business-friendly environment in a university town
Con: Vegas comes to Bethlehem?

Bethlehem, once the Lehigh Valley's steel capital, is now bustling with tech and biotech startups, thanks to resources stemming from Lehigh University and health centers in the region.

The city welcomes new businesses with open arms, offering technical assistance, low-interest "gap" financing, a tax abatement program, enterprise zone incentives, and a loan pool providing up to $2 million for new and existing businesses. In addition, Ben Franklin Technology Partners, an internationally recognized, state-funded program based at Lehigh University, links early-stage technology firms and established manufacturers with funding, employees, technology, and universities.

The city has been looking to develop other areas of business. Sparking some controversy is a $600-million development project that is slated to include a large casino on the old Bethlehem Steel factory site. But for now, the city remains low-key. Lehigh Valley is centrally located 50 miles north of Philadelphia and 70 miles west of New York City. Low real estate prices (the median home price hovers around $160,000) make it a popular bedroom community for the larger cities, but also an advantageous spot to launch. Hiking and biking trails wind through several parks, and the Lehigh River provides opportunities for boating and fishing. -Peter MacDougall