When building a casino, you have to plan, plan, plan – and then be ready to change.
That’s especially true when erecting a facility in a well-established market with lots of competition, according to a panel discussion Wednesday afternoon at the National Indian Gaming Association convention.
The panel discussion, Successful Development in a Maturing Gaming Market, took an in-depth look at the process behind the construction of Cherokee Grove Casino in Oklahoma. The $30 million casino, which opened in December 2016, covers 39,000 square feet and has 400 electronic games, plus a restaurant, music venue, dance floor, and outdoor patio on a 24-acre site.
The land is near a popular lake and close to a highway. About a dozen other casinos are within a day’s drive.
Cherokee Nation had to weigh several factors: whether to open in a temporary facility while the final casino was built, how to allow for possible expansion, how to provide flexibility for future uses as needs change, and how best to assemble the team necessary to carry out such a project.
John Whitney, senior manager of strategic planning at Cherokee Nation Hospitality Consulting, emphasized the need to know your brand and understand your market before deciding to launch such a project. He said the team kept to a “holistic business strategy” to see the casino grow from idea to architect’s sketch to a building.
Scott Celella, principal and chief project officer at JCJ Architecture, described a “planning funnel” concept that starts with a wide assortment of ideas and wish lists before narrowing to a draft master plan and, eventually, a final design.
“If you’re entering a mature market, you can’t do it willy-nilly,” he said. “Define what you want, then refine it.
“The important part of planning is that it sets a stage … for design and construction and investment to happen from an informed position,” Celella said. “That funnel goes down … but that funnel has got to stay wide open until the end.”
David Reed of Edmonson Reed, which oversaw the actual construction of Cherokee Grove, said every such job presents unique “opportunities,” and the team must minimize how those affect the work schedule and cost.
“That takes collaboration and communication by all involved,” he said.
Cherokee Grove took 15 months overall, including seven months of planning. Eight months after the first shovel went into the ground, the Cherokee Nation opened the doors to the new casino.
Rich Sullivan, CEO of Red Square Gaming, an Alabama digital services company, helped build public interest in the new facility and ultimately played a major role in helping Cherokee Nation cement its reputation as a patron of the community.
“People don’t like a brand that doesn’t think they’re smart,” he said.
Celella said allowing enough time for thorough testing of ideas is essential in projects such as Cherokee Grove.
“You’re taking a step into a mature market where the competition is stronger,” he said. “You need a little bit more planning, more rethinking.”
