There are few things worse for a business than lacking visibility, but adding more lights can help.
At St. Albert’s Apex Casino, the south entrance is undergoing several changes: the landscaping and walls are receiving touch-ups, the foundation is being repaved in cement and a large canopy will soon cover the doors, decorated with a glass roof and LED lighting.
Casino owner Bruce McPherson said the new look, in addition to a large sign facing the highway, will help attract more customers.
“I think we are very hard to see from the Henday and that’s part of the reason why we get the big canopy and light up extensively,” he said.
Sarah Van Dusen, sales and marketing manager at Apex, said the renovations come on the heels of a recent $5-million renovation to the interior of the casino.
“If you come inside, it’s so beautiful in here and the outside really needs to match that,” she said.
“We definitely want to attract some new customers but also just have our guests and everyone be as comfortable as possible.”
Van Dusen said the canopy allows people to enter the casino more easily, avoiding snow and rain. The new cement foundation will further aid with wheelchair accessibility.
Renovations to the south side entrance will finish in late December, with the other entrances undergoing similar changes in 2013.
McPherson said he is also entertaining an offer from a developer for 60 acres of land behind the casino. He would not speak to what kind of development would take place but suggested it could be industrial.
“There might be some commercial development on it, but that’s more up to the developer that is interested in perhaps purchasing it,” he said.
He added that he was in the process of subdividing three acres of his land east of the casino to use for future development.
“Possibly a hotel or a hotel expansion or a combination of both,” he said.
“But there’s nothing firm on that.”
