Crowds packed the River City Casino following the grand opening at 2 p.m. on Thursday. Casino officials were expecting about 10,000 people through the doors during the first day of operation.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
The River City Casino in Lemay opened to packed crowds on Thursday afternoon. The 90,000 square-foot-casino game floor features 2,000 slot machines and 55 table games.
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A visit to the new River City Casino on Thursday afternoon required a wait in traffic just to get there.
The casino and hotel in Lemay at 777 River City Casino Boulevard opened its doors at 2 p.m. Thursday to traffic-lined access roads, full parking lots and busy gaming tables.
“We had traffic lined up a mile long down the River City access road we built to the site,” said Mack Bradley, a spokesperson for Pinnacle Entertainment Inc., which operates the casino.
Bradley said parking lots were full and the inside of the casino was packed this afternoon. By about 5 p.m., the traffic situation on River City Drive had eased but parking lots were full. Attendants were directing traffic, he said.
“It’s not a bad problem to have at all,” Bradley said. As many as 10,000 people may visit the casino on Thursday.
The casino opened after a parade and ceremonies where St. Louis Cardinals' baseball Hall of Famer Ozzie Smith pulled a lever on an oversized slot machine to officially open the doors. The 90,000 square foot casino game floor features more than 2,000 slot machines and 55 table games.
Five dining areas are on the grounds, including a tavern featuring over 100 different beers, a classic burger joint and Jeff Ruby's Steakhouse with a facade reminiscent of Judy Garland’s family home in “Meet Me in St. Louis.”
Todd George, regional vice president and general manager for the casino, said the casino is different because it has a more historical feel.
“What we really wanted to do was something with the period of the 1904 World’s Fair,” George said.
Both the interior and exterior reflects the look of a Missouri Riverboat town with a contemporary twist.
The $380 million dollar complex reportedly generated 600 construction related jobs and is expected to create nearly 1,300 permanent jobs.
George said the casino is still hiring and employment applications are now being accepted.
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