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Riverside casino hiring plans expand
Gregg Hennigan
The Gazette
August 11, 2006
[Note: This material is copyright by The Gazette, and is reproduced here as a matter of "fair use" for non-commercial, educational purposes only. Any other use may require the prior approval of The Gazette.]
But casino CEO Dan Kehl said Thursday they did not want to underestimate the project’s size. They have a better idea of its scope now as the Aug. 31 opening draws near, he said.
The casino will include nearly 1,200 slot machines, 30 table games and a 14-table poker room. It also has a 200-room hotel, several restaurants, a spa, an events center and, opening next summer, an 18-hole golf course. ‘‘What we’re creating here is the first destination resort to be built in Iowa,’’ Kehl said.
At a press conference Thursday in the casino’s unfinished front entrance, Kehl introduced 15 senior management officials, most of them veterans of the gaming industry.
He also announced a partnership with Iowa City-based Zender’s Spa and Salon, which will operate the resort’s $2.1 million spa. The facility will feature massage therapy, skin, facial and body treatments, salon services, a relaxation lounge and an exercise room. It will have six treatment rooms, male and female locker rooms with their own whirlpools and sauna areas and a VIP couples’ suite. ‘‘It’s a beautiful facility, and there is not a couples’ suite like it in this area,’’ spa owner Donna Zender said. Kehl said the spa likely will open a few weeks after the casino does.
About 350 construction workers are finishing work on the resort. Landscaping and interior painting, floor and electrical work remain.
The 58,000-square-foot gaming area is nearly done, and many of the slot machines bear notices that they’ve been tested by state regulators.
About 275 employees started Monday and 300 more will begin next week, Kehl said. Between 35 percent and 40 percent of workers will be from Washington County, with another 35 percent from Johnson County, he said.