Ira Lubert is in the process of building Bally’s State College Casino after the state Supreme Court upheld the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board‘s decision to award Lubert the license. Lubert is now giving back to the community in a big way.
Penn State announced that Lubert, and his wife, Pam Estadt, donated $10 million to build a new welcome center at Beaver Stadium (above). Lubert is a former student and chair of the Board of Trustees at Penn State.
After years of deliberation, the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania gave the green light to Lubert’s casino project near Penn State’s campus. Construction is expected to start in the first half of 2025.
Penn State gets new welcome center thanks to PA casino developer
Lubert certainly has a soft spot for the Nittany Lions community. He and his wife have provided thousands of Penn State students with a new welcome center.
The Lubert Family Welcome Center is going to be located at Beaver Stadium, where it will serve as an entrance for Penn State fans on game days. In addition, it’ll be the first stop for prospective students, and their families, as they begin to tour the campus.
The welcome center is designed to offer a “complete campus visit experience” for potential students. For current students, the new area is going to play host to school-related and community events year-round.
“Ira and Pam understand that the Penn State journey begins the moment that a student visits our campus for the first time, and that Beaver Stadium represents the strength and scale of the University they are joining,” Penn State President, Neeli Bendapudi, said in a statement.
“Through this gift, they are not only supporting vital renovations at the home of Nittany Nation, but also ensuring that new generations of Penn Staters will discover connection, community and their path to success from their earliest moments on campus.”
Lubert is a true Penn-Stater, graduating from the school in 1973 and competing on the wrestling team. His two daughters also attended and graduated as Nittany Lions. Lubert said he understands how a strong college community can set up the futures of students.
“Coming to Penn State set me on a path that has led to professional success and personal fulfillment, and I am honored that the Lubert Family Welcome Center will offer a fresh, exciting first impression for future Penn Staters as they discover all that the University offers,” he said.
No timeline of construction of the new welcome center has been announced.
Bally’s State College Casino to start construction soon
Lubert is bringing entertainment near Penn State’s campus, in the form of a mini-casino. Bally’s announced last month that construction on the project is expected to take shape next year. George Papanier, Bally’s President, said on an earnings call last month:
“Obviously, the lawsuits are behind us. We’re now focused on going through the process and obtaining the appropriate approvals with the PGCB. So we’re focused on that.
“And timing of construction probably won’t be until the first half of 2025 at this point. As part of that transaction, obviously, there’s a stage relative to arranging the financing for that. And so now that the court has ruled, we are now going through the whole developmental underwriting process and how we plan for that.”
It sure wasn’t a linear path to this point, as Lubert endured multiple hearings and appeals that led to the license, which the PGCB correctly issued back in 2020.
Lubert beat out the Cordish Companies, who own several casinos around the country, including Live! Casino Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. The Cordish Companies accused of Lubert of improperly bidding on the license.
Lubert now plans to build roots in Happy Valley, where his name will hail over a portion of the football stadium for decades to come.
