HAMPTON BEACH –The historic Hampton Beach Casino, which has been a major entertainment venue since it first opened in 1899, is about to rebuilt into a major destination for the North Shore.
For over 100 years, the Casino Ballroom has claimed it is only “second to the sun” in attracting crowds to Hampton Beach. Now its owners may believe it will be better than the sun with a 200-room hotel, a new casino ballroom and adding even more retail space.
A new plan from the Lupoli Companies has been submitted to the town’s project review committee. Developers of the new Hampton Beach Casino complex are seeking approval for an expanded charitable gaming room.
The proposal would demolish the existing casino and construct up to a six-story development with a hotel, condos, a larger Casino Ballroom and expanded gaming facilities. The owners, Sal Lupoli and Fred Schaake, believe that charitable gaming will draw large crowds.
“It’s still early,” said Hampton Town Planner Jason Bachand. “We just got the site plan in early June, so we’re only starting our review.”
Even if everything moves smoothly, the earliest the plan could go before the committee is September.
It would not be the casino’s first remodel, but it may be its most extensive.
In 1927, new owners remodeled the space into a large dance hall with a wooden floor that quickly became one of the most popular places in the area. At its peak, more than 20,000 people came each week to dance in the air-conditioned ballroom. Big names like Glenn Miller, Louis Armstrong, Count Basie, and Duke Ellington all played there. Even with a no-alcohol policy and strict dress code, the Casino became one of the top-earning venues in the country.
The building got a major update again in the 1970s when it reopened as “Club Casino.” The remodel added a Vegas-style showroom with drinks, 1,600 seats, and what was the longest bar in New England at the time.
Today, the Ballroom is still a popular stop for both performers and fans. It hosts shows from April through November and continues to bring in top entertainment acts. ♦
