"It'll bring an economic boost to Terre Haute"...construction on the Terre Haute casino is underway
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTHI)- The plans for a casino in Terre Haute has been in the works for over six years, and community members are excited
Back in November, the Indiana Gaming Commission voted to grant the Vigo county casino license to Churchill Downs.
The Queen of Terre Haute Casino will be located on 4442 East Margaret drive.
It will have about 1,000 slot machines, 50-table games, sports wagering, and many restaurants. There will also be a 125-room hotel to attract people from out of town.
The CEO of Churchill Downs, Bill Carstanjen, says he's excited to help bring a boost to the Terre Haute economy.
"This will be a 190 million dollar economic impact for this community, their hard work will pay off. It'll put about 500 permanent jobs in the casino right here in Terre hate. We'll work really hard to hire locally and we'll use local contractors and developers to the maximum extent" shares Carstanjen.
Mayor Duke Bennett says even if you don't enjoy gambling, you will feel the positive impact this casino will have on the community.
"We're going to invest tens of millions of dollars back into the community in the coming years. pave streets, fix sidewalks, improve the parks, put some amenities, some fun things to do," shares Mayor Bennett.
Carstanjen says Terre Haute is well-deserving of this project and is excited to see it bring revenue to the city.
"Terre Haute is a strong area, great people, great sense of the community. We love I-70; we love how Indianapolis is spread to the west, so all these things make it a great location."
The project is expected to be completed in about 18 months.
Casino fast-facts
SIZE OF EAST-SIDE LOCATION
The 50-acre site is double the size of the initial property, which offers opportunities for more growth. It's also larger than the other applicants initially proposed. Churchill Downs chose to acquire 25 acres from the original Premier Gaming plan, as well as an adjacent 25 acres.
- Permanent jobs - 500
- Construction jobs - 1,000
- Hotel rooms - 125
- Gaming - 1,000 slot machines, 50 table games
