Hard Rock Bristol casino project gets required land acquisition, rezoning request hearing approval

The redevelopment project of Hard Rock’s Bristol casino in Gate City Highway corridor took another step forward Tuesday with an unanimous approval by the Bristol Virginia Planning Commission. The commission granted a variance to allow Bristol Mall Holdings LLC to acquire required 23 wooded acres from Evelyn Williams.

The formal action was needed because neither lot has the required 50 feet of public street frontage, Planner Jay Detrick told the commission, as reported by the Bristol Herald Courier. The land is southwest of the existing mall property.

“The site the casino sits on is made up of multiple lots — probably 15 to 20 lots, but since it’s zoned B-3 general commercial, you don’t have to refile those lots into one. You can look at it as a whole,” Detrick told the commission, adding that developers had not determined a specific use for the property, which is presently forest land.

In a separate action, the commission forwarded a rezoning request to the City Council for a joint public hearing. The request comes from the other of a house at 780 Gate City Highway that currently houses an insurance office and a heat and air service business. The land is zoned R-2 residential, Detrick said, but received a special use permit in 2014 so a commercial business could operate there. The request is to rezone the 2.1-acre site to B-3 general business. The site is a short distance from one entrance to the Hard Rock site. The public hearing is expected to occur at the council’s March 22 meeting.

Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Bristol is a $400 million development project to build a 90,000 square-foot casino, a 750-room hotel, convention center, a 3,200-seat entertainment center, an outdoor entertainment venue, restaurants, and retail shops. The location is near Interstate 81 Exit 1 at the former Bristol Mall.

The opening date is projected to be mid-2023 to early 2024, depending on the licensing timeline, vendor approvals, and building material shortages. A temporary casino will open in Spring 2022 and operate until the construction is completed on the Hard Rock Hotel Casino Bristol.

Also on Tuesday, Hard Rock International announced the appointment of Allie Evangelista as the new President of the upcoming Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Bristol.