Zona de Azar USA – Choctaw Casino in Durant Breaks Ground on Expansion

USA.- April 29th 2019 www.zonadeazar.com Choctaw Casino & Resort is expected to debut more than 1,000 new rooms and additional amenities in the spring of 2021

The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma broke ground on Thursday on a previously announced $500 million plan for the expansion of the Choctaw Casino & Resort in Durant, Oklahoma. A subsidiary of major general contractor Tutor Perini was picked to deliver the project.

News about the Durant-based property’s expansion first emerged last fall. The hotel and casino resort originally opened doors in 2006 as Choctaw Casino. Back then, it featured a 100,000-square-foot casino. The tribe debuted the 12-story Grand Tower four years later to accommodate casino patrons.

In 2012, the Choctaw Nation refurbished and reopened the Choctaw Lodge and Choctaw Inn. A new hotel tower, a spa, the Grand Theater and The District family entertainment center opened doors in 2015.

The recently kicked off project will thus be the fourth major expansion of the hotel and casino resort. Construction work is expected to be completed in the spring of 2021.

Commenting on the mega-scheme, Choctaw Nation Chief Gary Batton has previously said that the property has been the “starting point for many wonderful things” for his tribe and that they were elated to continue growing with their community “and improve the lives of [their] tribal and community members.”

The Expansion

The $500 million project involves the addition of 1,000 hotel rooms at the Durant-based casino resort, bringing the total to well over 1,600 rooms. The property will thus become Oklahoma’s largest hotel.

Aside from the additional rooms, plans also involve expansion of the casino floor, the addition of new pools and a “lazy river” feature, a new parking garage, expanded retail space, new entertainment options, and more food and beverage facilities.

As mentioned earlier, the Choctaw Nation broke ground on the expansion this past Thursday. The new amenities at the casino resort are set to debut in the spring of 2021.

Tribal officials have said the expansion will create 1,000 new jobs. Nearly 2,800 people are currently employed at the resort.

Commenting on the start of the expansion project, John Tynan, CEO and Chairman of TynanGroup LLC, told local media that the scheme will elevate the hotel and casino resort to the likes that can typically be found in Las Vegas. Mr. Tynan’s group was selected as the developer that will carry out the latest expansion at the Durant complex.

As mentioned above, a Tutor Perini subsidiary has been tapped as the contractor. Another subsidiary of the company, Roy Anderson Corp., was recently awarded the contract for the $200 million expansion of Southland Casino Racing in West Memphis, Arkansas.

Edited by: Zona de Azar Press www.zonadeazar.com