Caesars Entertainment is not wasting any time in continuing to upgrade its brand. Despite the challenges that casino operators are facing due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Caesars is going to spend a ton of money to revamp a casino in Louisiana. On Tuesday, the brand announced a $325 million project to renovate and expand the Harrah’s New Orleans casino.
Plan Details
The casino will be renamed to Caesars New Orleans and will be the flagship property of the operator in Louisiana. A new hotel tower will be added on-site which will include 340 guest rooms. The hotel will be created above the valet porte cochere of the casino. The property is already home to a larger hotel with 450 guest rooms and suites. This will provide even more space for guests to stay on-site overnight.
Along with the new hotel, the property will also provide new culinary and hospitality options. Development will also take place involving the second floor of the casino. Plans of the operator also include adding a new façade, interior architecture and design enhancements.
Caesars first announced plans to create a new hotel at the property in New Orleans two years ago. The project had to be approved by lawmakers in the state. In 2019, Legislature agreed to extend the license of the property by 30 years. This was in exchange for the upgrade plans.
The casino can now operate through 2054 but Caesars Entertainment must build the new hotel, add entertainment and dining options plus create jobs. An estimated 600 construction jobs are required along with 500 permanent jobs within the facility.
The project should be complete by 2024 if the process stays on track as planned.
Excitement Surrounding the Project
CEO of Caesars Tom Reeg commented on the new plan by stating that the company is excited to be introducing the brand to New Orleans. Their investment is a testament to the continued commitment towards the property as well as city.
Mayor of New Orleans, LaToya Cantrell, commented that the expansion is exciting as it will mean hundreds of construction jobs as the project is created and hundreds more in new jobs after the facility is up and running.
The new project comes at a time when Caesars is selling its other casinos in the state. In early December, the brand announced it had signed an agreement with CO Holding Company, Inc., to sell the Belle of Baton Rouge, a riverboat casino located in the state.
The amount of the sale has not been revealed to the public. The brand also received heavy criticism regarding the sale by gaming regulators because they said the property is decrepit. It is so bad that the bosses of the company chose to stay off-site when they visited earlier in the year.
Caesars is also selling the Harrah’s Louisiana Downs Casino, Racing & Entertainment along with the Eldorado Resort Casino. Several properties of the company are being sold due to Caesars joining forces with Eldorado Resorts earlier this year.
