5.30.07Casinos Race to Open New Digs
Joel J. Smith
The Detroit News
DETROIT -- In the race to open Detroit's first permanent casino, hotel and entertainment complex, the locally owned MotorCity Casino seems to have gained the edge over its closest competitor, MGM Grand Detroit.
MotorCity Casino, owned by Marian Ilitch, will swing the doors open on its enlarged gaming space June 7. MotorCity also has moved up the date on the ribbon-cutting for its 400-room deluxe hotel to September from late in the year.
Ilitch, vice chairwoman of Ilitch Holdings and wife of Little Caesars Pizza magnate Mike Ilitch, vowed at the casino's groundbreaking in 2005 that MotorCity would be the first of the city's three permanent casinos up and running. The entertainment, banquet and meeting rooms in the $275 million complex will open in the fourth quarter.
As the towering hotels of both MotorCity and MGM became part of Detroit's skyline, speculation has been rife about which of the multimillion-dollar permanent casino and entertainment complexes would open first. (Full Story)
MotorCity CasinoOpens: New, expanded gaming area opens June 7; 17-story, 400-room hotel is slated to open in September.
Cost: $275 million
Project: Includes 100,000 square feet of gaming space, restaurants, convention/banquet space, 1,200-seat entertainment center and parking for 4,400 vehicles
Greektown CasinoOpens: September 2008
Cost: $200 million
Project: 30-story, 400-room hotel, an additional 30,000 square feet of gaming space, a ballroom, 1,200-seat entertainment center and a 3,200-car parking structure
MGM Grand DetroitOpens: Late 2007
Cost: $765 million
Project: MGM's art-deco-inspired complex will house a 17-story, 400-room hotel, 100,000 square feet of gaming space, meeting rooms, entertainment venue, restaurants and a 5,000-car garage.
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