Margaritaville Resort & Casino is more than halfway done and is on track for their scheduled opening in June.
A Topping Off Event was held Wednesday to mark the last bucket of concrete being poured into the Margaritaville hotel tower currently under construction.
William E. Trotter and Paul Alanis, co-managing members of Bossier Casino Venture, LLC, addressed the construction crew and guests the casino's progress and announced that former Boomtown general manager Barry Regula will be taking the same position with Margaritaville.
The topping off ceremony marked an important milestone for this $197 million dollar construction project that is employing 600 workers. The tower crane lifted the last bucket of concrete, an evergreen, and the American flag to the 20th floor. The tree symbolizes growth and good luck as the project reached 55 percent completion.
“Everyone said 'You're not going to do it, it's never going to happen,'” said Alanis. “But here we are, it's a reality.”
The new Margaritaville Resort Casino in Bossier City broke ground late February. The expected grand opening is slated for June 2013.
“We can’t wait to get all of this fun out to the public,” Trotter previously told the Press-Tribune.
The resort will feature a 30,000 square foot, single-level gaming floor, 1,300 slot machines and 46 table games as well as the famous “It’s 5 O’Clock Somewhere” bar. The 18-story hotel will have a 396-room capacity, a 900-seat state of the art entertainment venue, spa and fitness center, outdoor pool deck and dining area, dramatic landscaping and four food & beverage outlets.
Bossier City’s Margaritaville Resort Casino, which will be the third and largest Margaritaville-themed casino, is projected to provide more than 1,200 jobs and generate more than $12 million in local tax revenue.
The city is currently improving its infrastructure in preparation for the newest gaming attraction.
The city is building a quarter-mile-long road off of East Texas Street to lead to the new casino. The project also includes additional turn lanes at the corner of East Texas and Traffic streets and widening River Colony Drive to include two single-lane roundabouts to connect to Bass Pro Drive.
