The first casino in the Iowa Quad Cities to break ground on land is the Isle of Capri. This morning in Bettendorf, President and CEO Virginia McDowell operated a bright yellow, John Deere backhoe to dig a big hole in the courtyard.
McDowell says the company plans to spend $55-60 million to build a 35,000 square foot casino along with a new lobby, hotel desk, buffet, diner, and bar. She says it'll be nice to get off the river, which is how gambling started in the Midwest.
Construction should take about one year. Currently, Isle of Capri employs 585 people. It plans to hire more after opening the new casino and restaurants.
Isle of Capri's competition includes the Rhythm City Casino in Davenport. The riverboat was an Isle of Capri property until a little over a year ago. That's when Scott County Casino, headed by Dan Kehl, bought it for $51 million. It plans to spend $110 million on a land-based casino, hotel, and entertainment complex near the intersection of I-80 and I-74.
In the Illinois Quad Cities, the competition is Jumer's Casino and Hotel.