Michigan’s Gun Lake Casino has nearly completed the fifth phase of its ongoing expansion project. The construction crew on Thursday held a topping-out ceremony, a construction tradition held to celebrate the near-completion of a project, on the fifth floor of the casino’s parking garage.
The ceremony saw workers secure the final beam, painted white and signed by all crew members, into place. Additionally, an evergreen tree was also placed on top of the building to symbolize luck and prosperity, according to officials.
“The topping-off ceremony is very significant, and it’s a prelude of what to come next,” Sal Semola, CEO of Gun Lake Casino, told News Channel 3. “As we turn the page the next big milestone for us, of course, will be when the hotel opens up so we’re really looking forward to that.”
Located in West Michigan for nearly seven years, Semola told the channel that he has seen a lot of growth and development in the area. However, he believes that there is a harbinger of things to come from development outside of those involved with the casino.
“We’re looking at a lot of things in the area from a development standpoint, the tribe is probably where we have some acreage here north of the facility, and there’s a master plan for that that’s underway,” Semola told the cited source. “Some of those things may be entertainment related, they may be business related or what have you, but it will all be additive to the overall area.”
He continued: “As the casino continues to prosper, so does the community at large so it’s a very symbiotic relationship, everybody benefits from it. We’re just ecstatic to be a part of the community and have been welcomed by the community at large.”
Gun Lake Casino’s expansion plans include an incoming 252-room, Four Diamond hotel, which is set to be open within the next 10 months, according to Semola. After that, the rest of the expansion, including the casino’s Aquadome, is set to be completed within a year.
Semola further informed that once the space is developed it can be equipped as a multi-use facility. “That’s really going to be a game-changer for us,” he said. “You know, it’s another entertainment feature, cause we’re in the entertainment business and that space is going to have flex uses to it.”
“Obviously there’s three pools in there, and there’s a swim-up bar, and that will be the normal environment, if you will,” Semola said. “And then sometimes we’ll convert the space to a nightclub, we’ll have concerts in there, we can also do banquets. So it really gives us a nice amenity to work with to further enhance our entertainment offering here at Gun Lake Casino.”
Apart from the hotel and Aquadome, Gun Lake Casino is set to include a host of other upgrades with help from a $10 million investment.
This includes the construction of Crossroads Casino Bar and Lounge, a new high-limit table games room and a new restaurant called Lucky Dragon Noodle Bar, a spot for authentic noodles and Asian cuisine. These amenities are expected to open by the end of 2024.