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 DETROIT,
MI - /The Detroit News/ - The MGM
Grand Detroit Casino has begun taking steps to build
its more lavish property at the nearby Michigan State Plaza
Building site, according to documents circulating in construction
circles.
While
MGM stresses that it hasn't made a final decision on where
to build a permanent gambling parlor featuring a hotel and
additional amenities, documents show it has hired general
contractors Perini Building Co. and L.S. Brinker to solicit
bid proposals from subcontractors to do work at the site,
across the Lodge Freeway from its existing temporary casino.
When
the state of Michigan's management and budget department
auctioned the nearly vacant property in April, MGM was the
only bidder, offering $12.5 million. A "request for
proposal" circulated last week by Perini and Brinker
refers to the state plaza site as the "project description"
and "planned project location."
The
deal with the state, however, hasn't closed, and MGM continues
to eye other sites, including its existing location and
land on the west riverfront.
The
state building is "where we have a lot of focus,"
John Redmond, chief executive officer of MGM Grand Resorts,
said Thursday. "But we haven't completely decided on
it," he insisted.
The
project will consist of a 400-room hotel, a 135,000-square-foot
casino, 169,000 square feet of restaurants, food courts
and back-of-house operations and a 4,000 space parking garage,
according to documents circulated among potential subcontractors
last week. Space devoted to actual gambling is limited to
100,000 square feet in permanent casinos.
Construction
should be completed no later than fall 2005, the document
says.
MGM
Grand Detroit, as well as rivals MotorCity
and Greektown
casinos, must finish their 400 room hotels by December 2005
so they'll be ready in time for the 2006 Super Bowl, according
to a proposed deal between the gambling halls and Detroit
Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick.
MotorCity
has announced plans to expand at its existing site.
Greektown
has land sewn up on two adjacent blocks in Greektown,
but is also considering an alternative site near the entertainment
district.
The
sense of urgency for picking sites and getting work under
way has lessened, however, since the city last week extended
the current development agreements with the casinos until
July 31.
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DALLAS,
TX - Hollywood Casino® Corporation opened of the second half
of its spectacular new dockside casino at its Aurora facility on
June 14. This opening marks the completion of the cornerstone of
the $78 million expansion of the