Summary
- Churchill Downs wants to move Terre Haute project to the east section of the city.
- The plan to move the venue must be approved by the Indiana Gaming Commission.
- If approved, the site will consist of almost 50 acres of land
Churchill Downs is seeking rezoning approval in Vigo County to move its Queen of Terre Haute casino to a new location. An application was filed by the company this week within the Vigo County Area Planning Department and would rezone current agricultural land to a C-3 Regional Commerce District. If approved, the company could then begin to develop its new casino.
Why the Change in Location?
The Terre Haute casino has been in the works for quite some time now, so why the change? According to Senior Vice President of Corporate Development for CDI, Jason Sauer, for the past few months, people in West Central Indiana have been encouraging the company to build the Queen of Terre Haute venue on the east side.
The company listened to the encouragement and is excited to start towards the path to groundbreaking on a new site. The land is two parcels located near I-70, and State Road 46, making the Indiana casino easily accessible for locals and travelers.
If approved, Churchill Downs says it will be able to offer a true destination casino resort to the county.
Details of the Casino Project
The proposed hotel and casino are 205,000 square feet in size and would offer 1,600 parking spaces for guests. The property is set to be home to a 10-story hotel with luxury amenities as well as a rooftop pool and bar, a first for the area, as well as usual casino games. The new site allows the project to offer additional services in the future. There is room for expansion, which would allow the property to offer even more jobs and revenues based on how the space is developed.
It is expected that the new casino will bring in $190 million annually to the economy. Around 1,000 jobs will be offered during the construction phase and 500 permanent positions once the venue operational. Within the first five years after opening, the casino expects to generate over $638 million.
Now, Churchill Downs must wait for the Vigo County Plan Commission to approve their plans. A meeting is scheduled for early March on the matter. The operator will also need to meet with the Terre Haute Board of Zoning Appeals to discuss the 125-foot tall building that is part of the casino construction plans.
The company was given the casino license back in November and had previously submitted plans for a different location. This new proposal moves the casino to another area of the city and has backing by Mayor Duke Bennett as well as commissioner Chris Switzer.
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