A New Name & New Amenities

The venue’s name change comes from its parent company, Las Vegas-based Caesars Entertainment Corporation. Caesars, which also owns three other Indiana casinos, was recently bought by Eldorado Resorts out of Reno, Nev. The company will continue to operate by the Caesars name.

The casino, which never shut down during 18+ months of construction, offers 1,200 slot machines, multiple bars/restaurants/lounges, a pavilion, showroom and plenty of parking. More amenities, such as a pizza venue, support services area and employee dining room, are expected to open later this year.

The Demolition & Early Work

The JV Team’s multiple-phase demolition process started in the summer of 2018. That included 4-5 weeks to tear off the face of the old building and 5-6 more weeks to tear up the old building’s interior.

During the process, the JV Team created a tunnel for patrons to get from an on-campus hotel through the construction site and to the gaming area. The casino’s roof was installed in February of 2019. Framing and interior work began the following month. That’s when the project really started to ramp up.

Numbers to Blow Your Mind

Many miles of data cabling were laid. The electrical and mechanical work was very involved. New plumbing was installed. Tons of air conditioning and heating followed. The crew even created supplemental heat by putting huge units on the parking garage, running duct work and sending it into the building.

From June of 2018 through December of 2019, the JV Team coordinated more than 200 workers and 20-30 subcontractors per day. Other fun facts on the record-breaking project included:

• 925 tons of steel
• 237 tons of decking
• 37 tons of joists
• 3.5 acres of carpet
• 3.57 miles of duct for the ventilation system
• 7,000 cubic yards of structural concrete
• 2,450 cubic yards of asphalt
• 1,520 cubic yards of sidewalk and curbs
• 1,450 cubic yards of exposed concrete
• More than 1,100 on-site construction jobs

A Dedicated, On-Site Team

The job was unique because a team of on-site employees lived and worked locally in Southern Indiana. The group was responsible for proposals, contracts and all day-to-day operations. It interacted with architects, engineers, third-party vendors and casino ownership/management on a regular basis.

A.J. Brown employees cited cases where the project required an “extreme amount of detail.” One example was assembling chandeliers on-site with no directions (they came in crates with several hundred crystals per chandelier). Perseverance eventually won as the test was passed with flying colors.

Adjusting on the Fly

Almost every construction project requires exceptional thinkers who can adjust on the fly. This case was no different. One of many benefits to working with A.J. Brown is the vast experience its team has. The versatility of these on-site employees led to a terrific final product — and it being delivered on time.

Team members recently complimented each other for bringing something different to the table with their backgrounds and experience. Everyone had seen bumps in the road before and they were constantly asking each other for input on how to solve whatever challenges were currently on their plates. A.J. Brown has worked in the casino industry for more than 20 years.

A.J. Brown’s Project Team

Dan Steuber, who has been with A.J. Brown for more than 20 years, oversaw the project from an ownership level. His work included program planning and preliminary budgeting. Dan Carmody served as the lead project manager, while Gale Armfield was the project superintendent, Ben Pulliam was the project manager and Tim Parmenter was the lead labor superintendent.

More on A.J. Brown

Founded in 1991, A.J. Brown is a general contracting company which serves a variety of clients throughout the United States. It specializes in managing construction projects from inception to completion in the office, retail, commercial, entertainment and industrial arenas across the country.

A.J. Brown assists clients with site selection, preliminary estimating, architecture, engineering and problem solving. Its highly-regarded team of construction and project management professionals has the experience to assist with everything from design development to owner occupancy.

A.J. Brown is based in Chesterfield, Mo. We would love to help with your next construction project. Please contact Principal Doug Rendleman today at 636-537-3636.