KCI’s engineers played a central role in the development and expansion of one of the East Coast’s premier gaming, entertainment, and hospitality destinations in Hanover, Maryland.
The project began with the design and construction of Live! Casino Maryland, a two-million-square-foot gaming and entertainment complex featuring approximately 300,000 square feet of casino space, multi-level parking, and extensive site infrastructure improvements. Our team provided civil, geotechnical, and structural engineering services on a fast-track schedule that went from concept through grand opening in just 17 months, which included completing Maryland’s first diverging diamond intersection to support the anticipated increase in regional traffic.
Building on the success of the casino, KCI continued its work with the client on the Live! hotel and conference center expansion, a $200 million addition that introduced a 310-room luxury hotel tower, event and meeting spaces, restaurants, and a spa. To make room for the new hotel, our team realigned an adjacent roadway approximately 300 feet, constructed two new five-acre surface parking lots over a former stormwater pond, and completed extensive ground improvements to stabilize the building pad before construction began.
Prior to completion of the parking deck adjacent to the conference center, the design was modified to include a new three-story event space that could host up to 4,000 audience members. The old deck was repurposed as the main event floor and incorporated long-span steel framing and transfer trusses to achieve a column-free interior with tiered seating and unobstructed sightlines. Engineers reinforced the existing foundations and carefully sequenced construction to avoid disrupting the adjacent 24/7 casino, hotel, and roadway operations. Advanced structural solutions also enabled a dramatic three-story atrium and VIP level while supporting state-of-the-art sound, lighting, and theatrical rigging systems.
Together, these efforts transformed the Live! Maryland campus into a full-service entertainment and hospitality hub that attracts millions of visitors annually, enhances regional economic activity, and sets a new benchmark for large-scale mixed-use gaming environments.
