Construction advances on Rivers Casino hotel
Rivers Casino and The Landing Hotel just made a connection.
On Aug. 20, construction crews placed a ceremonial beam that joins the seven-story, 219-room hotel with the North Shore casino’s east façade facing the Carnegie Science Center.
“The literal connection of the two facilities is fundamental for integrating the casino’s gaming and entertainment complex with the new hospitality venue,” says Steven Massaro, president of Massaro Corp.
The hotel project was reactivated this summer after a 15-month construction shutdown due to Covid. The Landing will open in 2022 creating approximately 128 jobs.
Klai Juba Wald, the interior designer and architect for the hotel, created a color palette of deep blues and rich golds and tactile finishes. Artwork in each room will feature local themes.
Casino visitors can see a life-size model guest room located just off of the gaming floor.
Pittsburgh Zoo gets a new president and CEO
Dr. Jeremy Goodman is the next president and CEO of the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium.
On Oct. 1, Goodman will succeed Dr. Barbara Baker, who has been the organization’s president and CEO for 31 years. She will hold the honorary title of president emeritus.
Goodman, a veterinarian who serves as executive director of the Roger Williams Park Zoo in Providence, Rhode Island, will be the Pittsburgh Zoo’s eighth director since it opened in 1898.
The new CEO worked as a private practice vet after earning a doctorate in veterinary medicine from Tufts University. For nine years, Goodman was director of the Turtle Back Zoo in New Jersey, where he turned around the finances of the municipal zoo and achieved its first national accreditation by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums.
“I’m excited about the opportunity to become the new chief executive of the well-regarded Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium,” Goodman says. “My family and I have visited Pittsburgh and the zoo and we are happy that we will be calling Pittsburgh our new home.”
New direct flight to Arizona
Low-cost carrier Allegiant has started its nonstop flights to Phoenix from Pittsburgh International Airport.
The flight to Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport (AZA) will operate twice a week on Sundays and Thursdays with introductory one-way fares as low as $69.
“The Phoenix-Mesa area is a popular destination for our customers,” Drew Wells, senior vice president with Allegiant, said in a press release.
Pittsburgh Hospitality Workforce Celebration Day
Pittsburgh Hospitality Workforce Celebration Day will be launched on Tuesday, Aug. 24. The inaugural event will take place from 3 to 4:30 p.m. at the Allegheny Overlook pop-up park on Ft. Duquesne Blvd.
Organized by VisitPITTSBURGH, the Pennsylvania Restaurant & Lodging Association‘s Western Chapter, the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership, the Greater Pittsburgh Hotel Association and Partner4Work, the day will honor the important contributions the local hospitality workforce makes to the community while also calling attention to the expansive job opportunities and career growth available in Allegheny County’s hospitality industry.