Opening of $92M expansion continues through Friday
By Alvin A. Reid Of the St. Louis American
The “new” Casino Queen opened last week, and the biggest winner could be East St. Louis.
More amenities on the gaming floor, more restaurants and more shows should mean more cash for a municipality that desperately wants to increase services to its residents.
“The City of East St. Louis is very excited about the expansion and development at the Casino Queen,” said East St. Louis Mayor Alvin Parks Jr.
“You are helping to put East St. Louis further and even more planted on the map.”
The deal that created the new Casino Queen included the Clayco, Inc./Legacy Building Group LLC Joint Venture. It is valued at $92 million, which is the first phase of a $150-million expansion.
The joint venture had up to 450 different tradesmen on site, sometimes working around the clock. Legacy CEO Todd Weaver had pledged to keep minority participation at 25 percent and met the goal through the first phase.
During construction, Clayco/Legacy formalized an agreement with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) that Weaver said would “create an environment for a number of disadvantaged and minority contractors to partner with OSHA and contractors, like Clayco and Legacy, who are interested in sharing our knowledge, experience and resources to improve construction safety performance.”
The St. Louis Minority Business Council and Casino Queen also held a pair of job forums for minority- and women-owned businesses to meet and network with Illinois and St. Louis area casino purchasing departments. St. Louis and Illinois casinos were on hand to discuss a variety of opportunities, ranging from general equipment and supplies to construction and contracting.
The two-level, tilt-up concrete building features a new 38,000-square-foot gaming floor (almost 10,000 square feet larger than the current gambling area), several dining facilities, a coffee bar and a stage bar.
Two additional Island bars, featuring video poker, are on the main gaming floor, where patrons find more than 1,100 slot machines and 34 table games.
The 207,500-square-foot entertainment complex will replace the existing Casino Queen that is moored along the eastern shore of the Mississippi River.
Jim Koman, Casino Queen president, said the gaming center and hotel’s influence “goes beyond the physical structure you see behind me. It extends to the City of East St. Louis and the vital role that the Casino Queen has played in helping to support the City’s revitalization efforts.”
“The Casino Queen has contributed over $150 million in tax dollars to the City’s coffers, serving as the largest contributor to the City’s revenue funds and as the largest private employer in the city, and we are approaching $10 million in charitable contributions made,” Koman said.
“Our operation also has contributed over $550 million in taxes to the state of Illinois. We look forward to building on that track record as more people discover that the new Casino Queen offers them an unparalleled gaming and entertainment experience.”
In addition, Casino Queen management and staff are helping Parks clean up the city and promote community service and social development in the city’s youth as part of the recently launched Partners for Progress initiative.
The Grand Opening Celebration continues through Friday (Aug. 10). It will include an exciting lineup of Las Vegas-style entertainment, fireworks and custom laser light shows that will light up the East St. Louis riverfront.
Future phases of the expansion call for an 800-seat showroom and a multi-level parking structure that will be built to meet market needs and to further enhance the overall gaming experience for patrons.
