It’s been a long time coming but renovations are finally under way at Gold Dust Casino.
The economic downturn put a delay on plans to alter and improve the Campbell Park facility but general manager Rob LeLacheur is happy to be nearing completion on a new dining area that’s slated to open in mid-September.
“The joke was, when we saw the whites of the construction workers’ eyes, we’d know that we’d finally started,” he said, “So it’s been very exciting these past few months as everything started to take shape.”
The casino announced in the summer of 2008 that it was close to breaking ground on $10 million worth of renovations and additions, but the recession led to a scaling back of that plan to a $6-million project announced last year. About a year ago the casino closed its Platinum Centre banquet facility in preparation for conversion to a restaurant.
Of its original plan, the casino completed a parking lot expansion about 18 months ago and started its restaurant conversion in April. The renovations will cost about $5 million, LeLacheur said.
“It’s a big investment for us. We’re the smallest [casino] in the region but we feel really confident about the market we’re in and I’m really excited,” he said.
The new dining facility will have a lounge and offer an atmosphere that is modern and chic but also very comfortable, he said.
As well as offering higher-level cuisine than its MVP Sports Bar & Grill, the new lounge and dining room will feature live music.
“We knew these were things we had to start doing to start competing better because the industry has definitely gone further in that direction than they have with the gaming itself,” LeLacheur said.
The next stage of work will focus on the west end of the casino, where MVP will close in favour of gaming space. The casino is expanding its slots by 35 per cent and will add a 24-hour poker room by this fall, LeLacheur said.
Eventually, LeLacheur would like to add a better staff change area onto the north side and re-orient the casino’s entrances to face south toward Anthony Henday Drive.
Last winter’s construction on the freeway, which closed access from Edmonton on 167 Avenue, took a big bite out of business.
“We survived through it and we’re really looking forward to moving ahead,” LeLacheur said.
It’s a good sign to see casino renovations happening, said St. Albert Chamber of Commerce chair Mike Howes.
Overall, he thinks the local business community is becoming less guarded about expanding their businesses.
“I think things are certainly a lot more positive than they were a year ago,” Howes said.
“Most of the people I talk to in business are hiring staff so I think that’s a good indication that things are going fairly well.”
