Gaming
commission approves site for Cuba-themed casino
As
reported by The Sun Herald
JACKSON,
Mississippi - The Mississippi Gaming Commission
has approved a 10-acre site on Biloxi's Back Bay for the
$250 million Havana Casino Resort.
The
project is being developed by Las Vegas-based Onnam Entertainment
Inc. The site is north of New Palace Casino.
Developers plan to ask the commission to OK plans for
the casino in July, said Dan McDaniel, the resort's attorney.
"We
hope to receive the authority to proceed shortly thereafter
from the commission," he said Thursday.
The
development will include a 17- or 18-story hotel with
465 rooms and 35 suites; a 60,000-square-foot casino with
1,600 slot machines and 40 table games; a buffet, coffee
shop and three additional restaurants; and a 1,500-seat
theater, said David Cacci, president of the development
team.
"We
hope to have shovels in the ground in September and to
open 15 months after that," he said.
The
resort will have about 1,700 employees.
Twelve
casinos are located along the Gulf Coast and two others
are under construction. Nearing completion and expected
to open this fall are the $235 million Hard Rock Casino
in Biloxi and the $50 million Silver Slipper Gambling
Hall & Saloon in Hancock County.
Havana
Casino Resort will include a recording studio, wedding
chapel - "so you can get married in Havana"
- and vintage cars from Havana's heyday in the 1950s and
1960s that will be for sale, said Sandra Manno, who is
among principals associated with the development.
Harrah's
to begin hotel construction
As
reported by The Southern Illinoisian
METROPOLIS,
Illinois - Harrah's casino representatives and Metropolis
city officials plan to break ground this week on a new
multi-million dollar hotel and entertainment complex,
which when finished is expected to bring in an additional
$1.3 million in the city's property taxes.
The
on again-off again construction project is slated to begin
Wednesday, with Pepper Construction, out of Chicago, as
the contractor. Officials say the facility will take about
one year to complete and could open as early as next summer.
Metropolis
mayor Billy McDaniel said early estimates stated the project
would cost $62 million, but given some of the delays and
increased price of construction material, the final bill
for the facility will likely be higher.
"It
will be several million dollars more than they anticipated,"
McDaniel said.
Preparations
the city has made for the new complex have also given
officials some steep bills in recent years, particularly
in readying infrastructure around the site of the future.
.