The new MGM Grand Detroit: Las Vegas comes to the Motor City

MGM Grand Detroit brings LV amenities to Michigan

By Richard Velotta / Staff Writer The MGM Grand Detroit, an $800 million, 400-room property, is one of three casinos in Detroit. The resort was scheduled to open late Tuesday. Photo Courtesy of Curt Clayton Studios MGM Mirage boss Jim Murren said he was stunned when he saw celebrity Chefs Wolfgang Puck and Michael Mina scurrying around in their kitchens, preparing food in preparation for the opening of MGM Grand Detroit. "It's just surreal," said Murren, the president and chief operating officer of MGM Mirage, during a Tuesday telephone interview from the Detroit property, which was scheduled to open its doors later that day. "People are just walking around with their jaws on the ground," Murren said. "The resort here is just spectacular and most of the people who see it for the first time are just stunned at how beautiful it is." Murren and several company executives from Las Vegas were there for the last-minute preparations for the opening, which had a guest list that included Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm, Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick and entertainers Kid Rock and Ashanti. Other celebrities from sports and the movie industry also were expected to be on hand. "We're also expecting a mad rush of people at midnight with people lining up to get in," Murren said. "A lot of people have heard about it or seen it on TV and the press has been overwhelmingly positive. It's the most significant chapter in Detroit's history in terms of hospitality." The MGM Grand Detroit, an $800 million, 400-room property, is one of three casinos in Detroit. Its competitors include: • MotorCity Casino, owned by Marian Ilitch and her husband, Michael, founder of the Little Caesars pizza chain, whose family holdings include the Detroit Tigers Major League Baseball team and Detroit Red Wings National Hockey League team. Opened in December 1999, MotorCity has a 100,000-square-foot casino with 2,500 slot machines and 70 table games and a 400-room hotel. • Greektown, owned by the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians. Opened in November 2000, Greektown has a 75,000-square-foot casino and a 400-room hotel. • Casino Windsor, owned by the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Commission. Located across the Detroit River in Windsor, Ontario, the 100,000-square-foot casino opened a temporary facility in 1994 and a permanent structure in July 1998, managed by Harrah's Entertainment with a 389-room hotel. Expectations have been high in anticipation of the opening, even though MGM Grand Detroit already has been the market leader according to total adjusted income from its temporary casino, which closed its doors two days prior to the scheduled opening of the new permanent casino. (Complete Story)