Officials tout impact of Terre Haute casino
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The chief executive officer of Kentucky-based Churchill Downs Inc. (Nasdaq: CHDN) says he is excited about the economic boost the Queen of Terre Haute Resort will bring to the community. Bill Carstanjen tells our partners at WTHI-TV the casino and hotel will bring a $190 million economic impact to the city.
Officials broke ground Tuesday on the $240 million casino and hotel, which is being built on the city’s east side.
“It’ll put about 500 permanent jobs in the casino right here in Terre hate. We’ll work really hard to hire locally and we’ll use local contractors and developers to the maximum extent,” Carstanjen said. “Terre Haute is a strong area, great people, great sense of the community. We love I-70; we love how Indianapolis is spread to the west, so all these things make it a great location.”
The project will feature a 400,000-square-foot casino building with 56,000 square feet of gaming space that includes 1,000 slots and 50 table games, as well as a 125-room hotel. It will also include a sportsbook and restaurant space.
Terre Haute Mayor Duke Bennett tells WTHI residents will feel the casino’s impact even if they don’t visit it.
“We’re going to invest tens of millions of dollars back into the community in the coming years. pave streets, fix sidewalks, improve the parks, put some amenities, some fun things to do,” Bennett said.
Construction on the Queen of Terre Haute Resort is expected to take about 18 months to complete.