Re: New Casino Building
Liberace would be at home among these elegant, plush lounges, custom bars and wood-and-leather gaming tables.
Inspired by increasingly popular Las Vegas-style casino resorts, the new Hollywood Park Casino — the first of several stunning developments promised in the Inglewood complex that will be home to the Los Angeles Rams — bears no resemblance to its neon-accented predecessor next door.
The wide-open chandelier lobby invites visitors into a lounge, sports bar and gaming rooms. Designers wanted to make it accessible to people looking to watch a game, buy a drink, or get dinner before seeing a show at the nearby
“This casino is more about expanding the (local card club) market than stealing from other card clubs,” Deven Kumar, its general manager, said during a media tour of the new facility Tuesday. “We’re more about making it a comfortable space for anyone to just come and grab a meal.
“You have a little bit of Vegas but also a more modern, contemporary look. It will fit with everything else (being built) behind us. It’s going to be great to move in here
The old casino will stay open until the new one, dubbed the Cary Grant Pavilion in a nod to old Hollywood, opens in the next month or two. An official grand opening is set for late October but doors of the gray one-story 110,000-square-foot building fronting Century Boulevard near Prairie Avenue will likely open earlier.
Situated in cavernous rooms with high ceilings, 125 card tables squat under gold and glass chandeliers. The walls of the Raise Lounge are lined with plush red fabric. Metal mesh curtains divide one of several luxury private gaming rooms in the back.
“This is the first step in our revitalization plan,” said Inglewood Mayor James Butts, who has championed the development largely owned by Stockbridge Capital Group. “Along with the future home of the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams, (the casino) and the many new businesses coming to Inglewood will bring with them new jobs, increased revenue and beautiful new properties.”
Butts expects the casino to generate about $2 million a year in city taxes.
Rams owner Stan Kroenke shares ownership of most of the 298-acre Hollywood Park site, but Stockbridge owns the 11-acre casino property outright.
A retail, housing and entertainment complex is still being planned for the area between the stadium and the casino, which sits on the former Betfair Hollywood Park racetrack that closed in 2013 after 75 years in operation. The new casino features a premium simulcast off-track wagering room with a bar and large monitors. Altogether, there are 350 televisions throughout the casino.
The retail and entertainment complex, billed as something akin to L.A. Live, is still being planned, while construction on the stadium is well underway. It should open in 2019.
Stadium construction moves ahead
Turner Construction Co. and Hunt Construction Group recently were chosen to build the nearly $2 billion sports venue, designed as the largest stadium in the world. It likely will be shared with another NFL team.
“Excavation for the stadium bowl is on track to commence in the fall,” Butts said. “Because construction activities are contained within the site, the impact on traffic is minimal.”
The new casino’s poker tables will host games of Hold ’Em, Omaha Hi-Lo and seven-card stud alongside state-approved games such as blackjack, Pai Gow, Baccarat, and Pan-9. Card clubs are barred from having slots.
~http://www.dailybreeze.com/business/20160809/take-a-peek-inside-the-ne w-hollywood-park-casino-in-inglewood-before-it-opens ~
Artist/Author: Daily Breeze September 26, 2016 | |
