First French
Lick Casino Contract Awarded
Less than a day after the
casino groundbreaking at French Lick Resort &
Casino, Blue Sky's general contractor for the site
work, Lauth Construction, LLC, awarded the first
$1 million contract to Paoli, Ind.-based Cave Quarries
Inc. The firm is using local workers and equipment
for the mass earth work and excavation as a first
step in the casino construction.
"We are keeping our promise to bring jobs
to Orange County," said Steve Eppink, senior
vice president development operations for Lauth
Group, Inc. "By doing so, local companies and
local people will be some of the first to benefit
from this project."
Cave Quarries Inc. began work on Wednesday, Aug.
17. The company, founded in 1918, has 60 employees
and specializes in excavation and mining work.
"As soon as the contract was finalized, our
team was ready," said Joe Knies, president
of Cave Quarries Inc. "We are honored to be
a part of this historic project."
More work for local contractors
More than 250 contractors from Indiana and Kentucky
attended an outreach forum designed to inform companies
interested in bidding for future work at French
Lick Resort & Casino on Wednesday.
The forum, advertised in local media, far exceeded
the anticipated attendance of 50.
"We created this forum to inform local contractors
about the project and the proposal process,"
said Eppink. "We want to reach out to everyone
who wants to be involved, providing them an opportunity
to have the same information at the same time."
The Blue Sky team is using Lauth's web-based system,
Project Link, so contractors can use the Internet
to check the status of bid scheduling, review logistics
plans and drawings, and access key contacts.
Within the next few weeks, Lauth Construction,
LLC also will schedule a local job fair for individuals
to submit information about their work experience.
All contractors hired will be encouraged to use
these applications to select local craftsmen.
Local community will benefit most from project
The project will employ approximately 1,400 employees,
providing an estimated $32 million in annual salaries
and benefits between the two resorts. The casino
itself will generate an estimated $32.6 million
in annual admission and gaming tax revenue, as well
as $3.2 million annually in local incentives.
Completion of the casino, parking garage, event
center, golf courses, and the first 200 rooms at
French Lick Springs Resort and related amenities
is slated for December 2006. In the project's second
phase, the Blue Sky team expects to finish restoring
the 240 rooms at the West Baden Springs Resort by
July 2007. The final 240 rooms at the French Lick
Springs Resort will be finished by December 2007.
The Blue Sky Team comprises Lauth Resorts &
Casino, LLC, an affiliate of Lauth Group, Inc.,
and Orange County Holdings, Inc., a charitable,
not-for-profit organization formed by the Cook Group
family of companies, as well as gaming company Majestic
Star Casino and hospitality management company Benchmark
Hospitality International.
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