Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort is making steady progress on its more than $100 million expansion daily, but Oaklawn Media Relations Manager Jennifer Hoyt says people will begin to really see the "vision" of the expansion in the next few weeks, as many of the completion deadlines are approaching.
Much progress has been made on the parking lot and casino expansion, the six-barn rebuild and the new Track Kitchen, she said.
The casino expansion's completion is anticipated for Jan. 24, 2020, and in the next couple of weeks the steelwork for the floor will be complete and they will begin the framing and roofing, Hoyt said.
"It's 28,000 square feet of extra casino space, which will allow us to increase our live tables. We will be expanding the high limit area, and that's going to be really cool because it's going to be at the front, and will have its own balcony overlooking (Central Avenue)."
The parking lot expansion will add 280 parking spots to the resort, and will be complete in the next three weeks, Hoyt said. She said with this significantly larger parking lot, the resort plans to keep the shuttle stops throughout the lot, but to eventually replace the existing ones with permanent and more attractive ones.
Hoyt said the six-barn rebuild will be complete by Nov. 25.
"Three barns are pretty much done, one barn is the process of getting the roof on and the other two are getting close," she said. "We'll have capacity for, well we say 1,550 horses, but it's a little bit more. And that's really what we want for our race meet, it's a really good number, it keeps our field sizes strong."
A new stable gate leading into the barn area from the parking lot is also currently being built since the area is not open to the public, Hoyt said.
Framing for the new Track Kitchen began this week, she said, and is anticipated to open late November or early December.
"It will remain open to the public and it's going to have the same log cabin look that the other Track Kitchen had. It's going to have the same seating capacity, but it will be a little bit more convenient. ... Especially on race days (because) it will have a dedicated parking lot, so you don't have to fight traffic if you just want to come to the Track Kitchen."
Hoyt said the only work done on the hotel portion of the expansion has been the building of an elevator shaft and stairwell, but the steel structure will begin next week. She said the entire expansion project is expected to be completed by late January 2021.
"This is not unusual for us, because we've done this before. We've worked with Flint Co. We have a really good relationship with Flint Co. They've done all of our other major expansions," she said.
They plan for construction to be constant, even through the horse racing seasons, but special provisions will be made for the horses, she said.
"People are excited, and all of us team members here at Oaklawn are very excited, we're just ready for it to happen," she said.
Local on 08/17/2019