Chatham-Kent breaks ground on new casino
Construction of Cascades Casino Chatham-Kent is rolling ahead after a formal groundbreaking ceremony Thursday signalling the start of construction.
Set to open in mid-2019, the casino at 615 Richmond St. — previously the home of Wheels Inn — represents a new chapter for the community, according to Mayor Randy Hope.
“We all remember this corner very well,” said Hope. “It was a beacon of this community, it was an establishment of John Bradley putting together something he believed would attract people to Chatham-Kent. Now we turn the page to a new venture, a new opportunity where an entertainment venue will be for the community but also beyond its borders.” The new casino, the first new build for Gateway Casinos & Entertainment Limited in Ontario, will accommodate approximately 333 slot machines and 12 game tables, as well as a buffet and the company ’s own Match Eatery and Public House.
The venue is expected to create up to 200 new jobs, with the 100 employees from the Dresden casino transferring to the Chatham location.
The casino will cost $36 million and resemble other Gateway properties in Kamloops and Penticton, B.C.
For those with concerns regarding gambling and addiction, Gateway CEO Tony Santo made assurances Thursday that the facility will be family-friendly, with separate entrances for the dining areas and security to check for minors at the doors to the casino floor. “Come in with your family, eat, drink, have a good time — we don’t care if people gamble or not,” he said.
For Hope, the casino and its features are just a “building block” for what is to come to Chatham-Kent, including a proposed twin-pad arena — on the vacant area across the street from the casino’s new home — on property formerly occupied by Navistar.
“It’s one piece of a puzzle that can change the face of Chatham-Kent to become an attraction. I hear it from my citizens, what is there to do in Chatham-Kent? Well, we’re going to add more to the venue,” said Hope. “This is only the building block of many things that could occur in the area.”
For now, Santo is encouraging those in Chatham-Kent to continue visiting the slots in Dresden, which will remain open until the transition to Chatham is complete.