Big, Better Coconut Creek Casino Now Open
COCONUT CREEK (CBSMiami) – The chips were flying as gamblers tested out their luck in the new $150 million expansion at the Seminole Coconut Creek Casino.
At 11:30 a.m., Seminole Tribe of Florida officials along with the casino's president Steve Bonner officially cut the ribbon. "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition's" Ty Pennington was also on hand. Together they presented a check to SOS Children's Village, a foster home in Coconut Creek, for a new roof makeover.
The expansion, which only took eight months to complete, doubled the casino in size and included a 100,000-square-foot gaming floor to accommodate 2,500 slot machines and about 70 blackjack tables. In addition to a new poker room, the expansion also included a number of new restaurants like the upscale NYY Steak and the New York-style 1st Street Deli. Outside, customers can park in 2,400 new LEED certified green parking garage.
"It's beautiful, I love it," said Maria Martins of the new casino expansion.
At 8 p.m., Foreigner will perform in the casino's new 1,200 seat concert venue, The Pavillion.
The expansion of the casino led to lots of new jobs.
"We've hired over 800 people since November," said Bonner. "It's really gratifying to have this group of people that most of them have been out of work for a while. A lot of them have been out of work for years. And putting those people back to work, they are so proud to be here. It's really been gratifying."
The expansion of the casino could not have come at a better time for Broward County, which has an unemployment rate of 8.5 percent.
"A lot of these jobs were local craftsman, one shift we had 750 guys working," said builder Andrew McAlister.
But there's more. Casino officials are looking at ways to attract people from North Broward and Palm Beach County. There also plans for a new hotel which would create even more jobs and better tax revenue for the city and county.
But the Seminole Tribe is also mindful of their comments with regards to gambling and the current destination gambling bill before the state legislature.
"Any projection we've given the state not only have we met, bu we're exceeding," said Jim Allen, CEO of Seminole Gaming. "So we find it interesting there are people making comments when there's not enough information on what the market can and cannot produce."
