Construction on Cincinnati’s proposed new casino seems to be going strong and, by the looks of things, 2013 will indeed see the launch of a new casino in this Ohio city. The casino can be seen as part of Cincinnati city leaders’ efforts to increase city revenue through the encouragement of gambling venues in the city. The proposed addition to the city landscape has come under heavy discussion by residents, and so far, the response seems largely positive.
A New Casino in Town
In February this year, Caesars Entertainment announced the construction of a new branch of their popular Horseshoe chain of casinos in Hamilton County, Cincinnati.
The new casino is a collaborative effort between Caesars, the world’s largest casino operator, and Rock Gaming, Ohio. The proposed $400 million casino is quite unique and is marketed as being the first truly urban casino. The massive 354,000-square-foot structure is currently under construction on 22 acres of what was formerly the surface parking lot known as Broadway Commons.
When finished, the Horseshoe will be home to a cavernous 100,000-square-foot gaming floor featuring an unbelievable 2,000 slot machines and 85 table games. The owners confidently expect at least six million visits per year.
Local Cincinnati authorities are hoping to see a windfall of jobs as well as significantly increased tax revenue from the project. As of now, their hopes seem to have borne fruit.
Casino Offers Thousands of New Jobs
According to project spokesperson Jennifer Kulczycki, the developers are determined to ensure that the local economy is positively affected by the project, right from the construction phase.
The Horseshoe, Cincinnati, is expected to be open for operation in spring 2013 and is expected to provide steady employment to nearly 1,700 workers on completion. The construction costs alone are expected to come to $150 million dollars and will be a source of several jobs for locals (developers promise almost 2,000 new jobs).
The project managers have also taken care to follow a highly positive inclusion policy with regard to the employment of minority communities. Of the 29 million in business contracts awarded to local businesses, a whopping 35 percent were given to companies owned by women and those belonging to minority groups. This is definitely in excess to the 20 percent voluntary goal that was agreed upon by the casino developers.
Furthermore, the corporations have taken care not to include anything in the design of the Horseshoe, Cincinnati, that may adversely affect existing local businesses. As part of this stated aim, the builders have not included accommodation facilities as part of their casino, as this would hit the already crowded Cincinnati hospitality industry in a bad way. The lack of onsite accommodation will also have the extra benefit of helping to spur foot traffic throughout downtown to the casino, which should in turn encourage visitors to patronize local retailers.
All in all, the proposed Horseshoe casino seems to be a definite boon as far as Cincinnati is concerned. While some locals do fear increased crime rates as a result of the new addition, city officials insist this will not be the case. Already, the area is seeing a marked beautification drive that will benefit both locals as well as visitors to the city.