Altoona: Prairie Meadows Casino Expansion

[Mastermind]

I havent been to Winnevegas in a while, but didnt they get a major overhaul recently?

[JMsioux]

I havent been to Winnevegas in a while, but didnt they get a major overhaul recently?

It's still a hole as far as I'm concerned. Lipstick on a pig ring a bell?

[DMRyan]

Sounds like Prairie Meadows is finally getting serious about building a hotel onto their complex with a new 180 room Hilton Garden Inn.

Should fit right in with the cornball faux victorian horsebarn architecture already found there. I was hoping for something a little more eye catching than the Comfort Inn in the Amana Colonies look, but understand this rendering is for conceptual purposes only.
Rendering from KCCI.com



http://www.kcci.com/money/22733025/detail.html#

[BenRoethig]

From the look of this, its going to go in front of the casino addition Are there any plans for a parking ramp as well?

[butters]

There are plans for a parking ramp at Prairie Meadows - I do not know what timeline they have in mind for constructing it. The ramp is badly needed right now, particularily on nights when they have live racing. The addition of the hotel will only exacerbate the need.

[dogbo]

Hotel expansion is long overdue. Hopefully parking ramp is close behind.

[Ingersoll1978]

Hopefully the hotel will be similar to the architecture of Prairie Meadows. Some of these casino hotels look very cheap (as in the quality of exterior materials). It looks appropriate.

[hawk61401]

Hopefully the hotel will be similar to the architecture of Prairie Meadows. Some of these casino hotels look very cheap (as in the quality of exterior materials). It looks appropriate.

Exactly. It can look like a cheap add-on or look like it belongs with the original structure. I never heard of The Kinseth Hospitality Group, the company that's building the hotel or knew they were located in Iowa (N. Liberty)
http://www.kinseth.com/about/index.cfm

Looks like they have had plenty of expertise with the latest project being the Hilton Garden Inn at the Horseshoe Casino in Council Bluffs. http://hiltongardeninn.hilton.com/en/gi ... cn=OMAEAGI

[dogbo]

Exactly. Case-in-point. Look at the hotel they added later to the Diamond Jo Casino in north, central Iowa (just off of I-35 near MN border) . -. They basically tacked on a Country Inn (same look you see on any of their hotels) onto a casino that is supposed to look like an old rustic, old mill. Not very well done.

[hawk61401]

Exactly. Case-in-point. Look at the hotel they added later to the Diamond Jo Casino in north, central Iowa (just off of I-35 near MN border) . -. They basically tacked on a Country Inn (same look you see on any of their hotels) onto a casino that is supposed to look like an old rustic, old mill. Not very well done.

Excellent example, dogbo. The new Prairie Meadows hotel can make or break, and, it can help make Prairie Meadows a destination. It's kind of like ... why would I fly to Las Vegas and stay in a motel that I can find in any Iowa town with a population of over 10,000? Gamblers go to casinos to gamble but also they want be treated a little bit special, and to enjoy something different and that includes the amenities of the hotel.

I hope the folks over at Prairie Meadows are following the advice on absolutedsm. Don't blow it!

[QuadCityImages]

Don't blow it!

They will.

Look at any new Midwestern casino. They claim to be "Vegas-style," but they're all cookie cutter designs, which is the opposite of a Las Vegas casino. If you plopped me down on the casino floor of Riverside or Jumers in Rock Island, the only way I'd know which one I was in is by the smoke in the Iowa casino. Neither's hotel is anything special either. Not quite Country Inn, but definitely not Mirage/MGM Grand.

[speeder]

If you plopped me down on the casino floor of Riverside or Jumers in Rock Island, the only way I'd know which one I was in is by the smoke in the Iowa casino. Neither's hotel is anything special either. Not quite Country Inn, but definitely not Mirage/MGM Grand.

I'll agree neither of these is the MGM but they are not Circus Circus either. I've played and stayed at both Riverside and Jumers, they are both pretty cool. The hotels rooms at Riverside were great but the room we had at Jumers this past January was awesome. Better than any I have ever stayed at in Vegas, although I keep in mind that I've never sprung for a suite in Vegas, just the standard room.

As for the smoke... I don't know what to tell you, Jumers is in Illinois, do they have a smoking ban? Because they don't allow smoking on the casino floor or lobbies; they have a smokers lounge in which we enjoyed a couple good cigars with bourbon in-between craps games... I'd didn't experience smoke anywhere esle but there.

As for Riverside and the rest of Iowa casinos, well, you can thank our sleazy spineless legislature and Sweaty Chetty for deciding that the patrons and employees of Iowa Casino's have no 'right' to State mandated healthy=smoke free work place; unlike patrons and employees of privately owned bars and restaurants across the state... who apparently have the 'right' to a smoke free atmosphere and can't just choose places that don't allow smoking in them by free will/choice ? There may have been another, more monetary reason for excluding Casino's from the smoking ban but then that would only make them that much sleazier . At this point, I say cheers to the lawyer who takes a swing at testing the constitutionality of the Sate denying such a 'right' to employees because they choose to work in a State licensed Casino that supplies a good deal of tax revenue!

Regardless, those two casinos, Meskwaki, and the one in Worth County (though a bit too themed for my tastes) are pretty nice compared to Prairie Meadows, Terribles, the Isle of Capri, and most of the boats I ever visited. I look forward to seeing what Prairie Meadows does and I hope they do a nice job on the new hotel addition.

[hawk61401]

I usually take pride in my state. Many times it's ahead of the times. We are the state that desegregated schools almost one hundred years before the U.S. Supreme Court got into the act. Today we are the leader in wind energy. But we have also regressed to having legislators who have contempt for the employees who work in casinos and the patrons who visit Iowa casinos.

I wish Prairie Meadows the best for a new hotel. But I won't visit it or any other Iowa casino. I've been taking my gambling money to Illinois where I can breathe fresh air. Two hours in an Iowa casino my cause measurable changes in the functioning of your heart. I trust the following video more than I ever would a casino spokesman or a casino's so-called air filtration system.

A visit to a smokey casino ....

[QuadCityImages]

As for the smoke... I don't know what to tell you, Jumers is in Illinois, do they have a smoking ban? Because they don't allow smoking on the casino floor or lobbies; they have a smokers lounge in which we enjoyed a couple good cigars with bourbon in-between craps games... I'd didn't experience smoke anywhere esle but there.

Yeah, Illinois has a real smoking ban. As far as ours, since there's literally no good reason for the casino exemption, it depends on what level of cynicism you want to apply. The less corrupt reason is that the state needs every dollar it can get, and banning addictive personality-types from casinos could potentially cost serious revenue for the state. The more cynical reason is that banning smoking would cause the gaming industry to potentially cost serious revenue for the politicians' campaigns.

As far as the Vegas comparison, I was more referring to architecture. I am not a big gambler, but I enjoy walking around Vegas looking at the over-the-top resorts and hotels. Nicely appointed as Riverside and Jumers may be, I feel like they had a checklist: Big room? check. Hotel? Check. Buffet and other restaurants? Check. Small entertainment venue? Check. In the case of the two hotels I've been talking about, its almost like they simply reused the same blueprints.

I just don't get the same cookie-cutter feeling in Vegas.

[speeder]

Nicely appointed as Riverside and Jumers may be, I feel like they had a checklist: Big room? check. Hotel? Check. Buffet and other restaurants? Check. Small entertainment venue? Check. In the case of the two hotels I've been talking about, its almost like they simply reused the same blueprints.

I just don't get the same cookie-cutter feeling in Vegas.

Very true, Vegas is a one of kind place and our Iowa Casino's have pretty much the same floor plan...just varying levels of trim quality.

Exempting Casino's from the smoking ban, no matter what the reason or end result, is corrupt,wrong, sleazy, greedy, and spineless.

[DMRyan]

You'd have to be a casino executive or politican to not agree with that. I doubt you hear much of an arguement on this.

[DMRyan]

According to the Business Record, a new 177-room Hilton Garden Inn will start construction at Prairie Meadows this summer. Pretty much on par with what I expected design wise.



Here's a link to the article about this project, along with more information on the downtown Hyatt Place.
http://businessrecord.com/main.asp?Sect ... cleID=9932

[hawk61401]

The Praire Meadows hotel developer needs to get an extension. It's not only a tight lending market, it's because Prairie Meadows needs a referendum every eight years to continue casino gambling which makes it difficult for the Kinseth Hospitality Company of North Liberty to obtain a long-term.

This is nuts. I thought that Iowa during this session was going to consider ending the requirement that communities must vote every eight years on whether to keep a casino. I would be mighty leery too if I had to worry every eight years about a bunch of church ladies trying to close me down.

This is one of those things that Iowa needs to get off the pot. You want to have gambling, ok, then when you have someone like Kinseth who wants to make a casino more attractive to gamblers, you have a dumb law which discourages making it more attractive.

the new extension: http://www.desmoinesregister.com/articl ... -extension

[QuadCityImages]

I very much disagree. With lack of accountability to citizens, you can get screwed over like Davenport is currently having happen. If a casino is keeping the community happy and the grant money flowing, they should have no worries about the small percentage of people who are morally opposed to gambling.

[Lime]

the Kinseth deal is off.

Prairie Meadows in May gave Kinseth a 60-day extension to come up with funding. The extension expired Wednesday, and now Prairie Meadows is planning to finance the project.

"It's our intention to do the hotel ourselves," Prairie Meadows General Manager Gary Palmer told the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission. "Originally, we wanted to get a head start before the referendum and get the hotel started before winter, but that's lost now."

The drawback is more delay. The Prairie Meadows board will meet Aug. 13 to discuss financing proposals from four banks. Nothing will be finalized until after the November election.

The original plans were for construction to start in June and be completed by August 2011.

Another concern is a delay in funding for a $20 million parking garage. With Kinseth building the hotel, Prairie Meadows intended to get the parking garage loan in November. Now, it will seek the hotel loan first.

"We don't think there's any possible way we can do both," Palmer said. "The referendum is a real stymie for us. Eight years is the window to get the loan and pay it back."

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/articl ... tel-itself

[hawk61401]

the Kinseth deal is off.

Iowa legislators can be the most confusing bunch of rascals. This past legislative session, Iowa casinos wanted to be let off the hook for a referendum vote every eight years on whether or not their community wants them to stay open. I agree with the casinos, it shouldn't be something that should be allowed to hang over your head or subject to someone's whim. It puts Iowa casinos at an unfair disadvantage against the Indian casinos. Prairie Meadows needs to do everything it can to match up with the Meskwaki Casino.

But on the other hand, or should we say head .... Iowa legislators have their heads up the behinds of the casino industry. I know the subject has been beaten to death on here. The last time I went to an Iowa casino, I swore I would never go again. The cigarette smell on my clothes was the least of the problem. The bigger problem was a runny nose and a headache that lasted for hours after I returned home.

Iowa legislators can't be that stupid. They're just a bunch of wussies. If they would go to Jumer's in Rock Island on a Friday and Saturday night, they would see a no smoking casino that is packed.

[hawk61401]

I usually have praise and admiration for the Des Moines Business Record. Not this time. "Pride at the Racino" is their latest edition. Where's the pride? Pride and concern for your employees? An interview with Gary Palmer, president and CEO of Prairie Meadows Racetrack and Casino shows the same ol' scare tactics. The Business Record didn't ask Mr Palmer any hard questions but then it's not like the Business Record is a real newspaper with real reporters.

Prairie Meadows is leased from Polk County. That means that smoking is prohibited on the property outside the casino, but not inside among the slot machines and table games.

It is no secret that casinos cannot afford to have customers leave the gaming floor to grab a smoke off site.

Palmer said extending the ban to his facility would mean an annual loss of $40 million. Statewide, those numbers would run to at least $150 million, he said.

“We would not be in favor of that for economics only,” Palmer said. “It’s part of the entertainment business.”

He is quick to point out that the state has no authority to regulate activities at casinos owned by Native American tribes, such as Meskwaki Bingo Casino Hotel in Tama.

A smoke-free Prairie Meadows would place more gambling customers in Tama, Palmer said.

I wonder why Delaware North Companies Gaming & Entertainment, which is one of the most innovative gaming and racing operators in the country, is buying Jumers Casino in Rock Island. That no smoking casino must be making a lot of money to be attractive to Delaware North.

the risks for a Prairie Meadows employee: http://no-smoke.org/document.php?id=316

Pride at the Racino: http://www.businessrecord.com/main.asp? ... M=53905.55

[speeder]

Why did the Iowa legislature and sweaty chety leave casino's out of the no-smoking ban?

[hawk61401]

Why did the Iowa legislature and sweaty chety leave casino's out of the no-smoking ban?

Culver and the Iowa legislature were a bunch of spineless cowards when they faced the casino industry. Let's give equal opportunity. Brandstad is just as spineless. He doesn't care about casino employees or casino patrons getting cancer. He's more concerned about scoring political points with the anti gay marriage crowd.

[DMRyan]

The 177-room $32 million Hilton Garden Inn will get started on Monday. They must be in a hurry to get this done after waiting on the usual delay in getting funding based on the ridiculous law requiring voter approval of a gambling referendum every decade. Not typical to have a groundbreaking in December before the throes of winter set in.



http://www.whotv.com/news/who-story-alt ... 4032.story

[DMRyan]

This hotel is really coming along now.








And proof that the Des Moines market is underserved (and underclassed) by casinos. Hard to tell by this photo, but there's paint chipping off of the roof. Pretty sad compared to the newer and remodeled casinos in Council Bluffs, Waterloo and the Quad Cities.

[DMRyan]

The new $32 Prairie Meadows hotel is open and the interior looks pretty slick. The exterior though is really quite embarrassingly horrible. How much cheaper could they make Prairie Meadows look on the outside? Amazing that the metro will probably hit the 600,000 people mark within the next year and this is the only casino in the market...



The links below have video and photos of the new hotel.

http://www.kcci.com/entertainment/30246509/detail.html

http://www.woi-tv.com/story/17015688/pr ... der-budget

[casbern]

The new $32 Prairie Meadows hotel is open and the interior looks pretty slick. The exterior though is really quite embarrassingly horrible.

This. It's always amazed me that there hasn't been a facade renovation or something to make it more visually appealing.

[dogbo]

Right or wrong, IMO they continue to build this complex to look more like a horse track, rather than in casino.

I don't think it is ugly, but it also isn't very special either.

[DMRyan]

Prairie Meadows is adding 250-300 new slot machines to the "bridge" between the casino and the hotel. After a recent visit, this area is wide enough to resemble the great hall at the new Vets Convention Center. It seemed like a natural fit to try to cram more machines into this space since it's so wide open. Maybe it can be another smoke free area too since it's ride by the Triple Crown feeding trough buffet.