Jump to content

Pinnacle Plans BR Casino/Hotel


richyb83

Recommended Posts

Actually, I like this project also. I would like to see it near the downtown area like Richy mentioned. I think it sucks that it's so farout in the suburbs,I'm starting to have a small grudge agaisnt Livingston and Ascension parishes and South B.R. I would really like to see more development in the inner city, but I also don't like the idea of letting such a nice big development slip away. Another thing I don't like is the fact that according to the rendering, it will have a giant sea of parking and that yet another mid/higrise and hotel escaped from downtown.

As Bobby said though, Gardere does need a makeover and the Belle and Hollywood shouldn't have waited for impending doom to start to kick it up a notch. I also like this project because although B.R. has ample shopping, it doesn't really have too many other attractions. And although an understandably skeptical idea in B.R. , a monorail isn't so unbelievable, since it's only going a short way. If I could vote I would vote for this. :)

Well Richy, if it makes you feel any better a latter phase of the development wil include residential units. :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites


  • Replies 165
  • Created
  • Last Reply

^Unfortunately some worry that Pinnacle is just trying lure voters. Show this nice big project; then only complete PhaseI(casino) and never doing the rest that's promised. They are allowed to do that after Phase I if they choose to do so. Hope this is wrong?? Most of that $ money would be spent trying to change around the levee/batture and cofferdam?? for the facility.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dang richy just when I was feeling good about wanting to vote for this project, you come with the counterargument that is worth thinking about. I didn't know that they could stop after Phase I. Well in that case I going to have to think hard about my decision because I'm tired of Baton Rouge getting short-changed by these Casinos. <_<

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I always like your imput bobby255BR; That's very positive upbeat to consider Gardere getting a face-lift as well + plenty of prayer. I don't mean to sound negative or rain on anybody's parade; but those casino's can be shady dealers at times.

You are also right about the other two casino's. They are nothing special. Now the Belle is feeling pressure; last week they were to expand nearly twice the size + adding a 9-level parking deck closer to the levee.

Hollywood did some renovations recently in an attempt to upgrade. Though I have not actually seen it. They recently purchased about 4 acres adjacent to the property. For a needed hotel possibly??

A few weeks back a developer( can't remember name) was to develop the land next to Hollywood with possible offices/condo's and an under-pass under the railroad track for easy continuous acess. Anything would be better than the old gravel pit that moved away.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

^Unfortunately some worry that Pinnacle is just trying lure voters. Show this nice big project; then only complete PhaseI(casino) and never doing the rest that's promised. They are allowed to do that after Phase I if they choose to do so. Hope this is wrong?? Most of that $ money would be spent trying to change around the levee/batture and cofferdam?? for the facility.

Unfortunately, the same could be said for the Belle and the Hollywood casinos and their recent expansion "announcements".

They have had many years to improve their properties and enhance Baton Rouge's downtown riverfront, but they waited until a serious contender came calling. I think their promises of additional enhancements, other than gaming, may be a ploy to entice the voters to vote against Pinnacle, and then when they have the place to themselves, decide that it is not in their best interest to expand. Games, games.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm sold on the casino. I agree with much of bobby said. Ther other casino's are 3rd rate. This casino will be in a class of its own. The best part, is that it will bring other retail and entertaiment elements to that part of town. The bluebonnet - nicholson- burbank area will explode with activity. Not to mention the walmart being built on the end of bluebonnet near G-lane. there is a lot of undeveloped land in that area.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Even if the proposed hotel in Phase II gets built, I'm not a fan of the green metal/tin roof shown on the rendering. Every other city (Shreveport/Bossier City, Lake Charles, and New Orleans) have really nice high-rise casino's. I guess Baton Rouge is simply not worthy.

I guess hopefully, eventually they will, widen Nicholson??

Lot's of people will be using the Bluebonnet extension that's only 30mph speed limit in the middle of residential neighbrhood to get to this casino. Just don't like this location.

This untapped area of undeveloped land will/is developing with or without this new casino.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 months later...

WHAT a JOKE!!! :sick:

Delay on Pinnacle details criticized

http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/9303126.html

At this point, the company is planning a single level riverboat casino with a 100-room hotel, he told the board.

^ What are these suckers going to do??? Build a Motel 6 on thier so-called resort?? 1st it was a 750-room hotel; then it became 350-400 rooms.....now only a 100 room hotel?? Baton Rouge gets the shaft again!

Most of Pinnacle's fund$ will be $spent digging that goofy cofferdam around the levee for the boat; which is nearly 20 acres itself <_<

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Richy, with these new developments on the smaller hotel, I doubt seriously that I will vote for this. I agree with everyone else, I'd rather see a high-rise hotel downtown with an entertainment venue than see some sprawling resort in the middle of nowhere. Those casinos in Shreveport are nice and they aren't a resort. When they first talked about this and they said BR would be able to compete withe Miss. Gulf Coast I thought we were getting something like the Grand or Beau Rivage, or the Horseshoe in Shreveport. I was extremely disappointed with the renderings they showed us. I really thought it was crap. Now with them saying it would only have 100 rooms, what is that all about? There is nothing "resort" about that. If that is the case we can't expect them to do anything else but put the casino and their "Motel 6". They have lost what little support I had for them. I vote NO!!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If I could vote for it I would probably vote no too. Even if they bump up the game again, I don't know if it is really a company I could trust. If nothing else at least the existing casinos are going to be a little nicer.

[/quote

Yes the casino's downtown are nice, but I think it's a shame that they didn't decide to step it up a notch until Pennacle decided to come here. In my mind I think they should have been trying to upgrade and grow with the city. Take for instance the Belle they have that great Atrium right there that hardly gets any use if at all. I think that is an ideal building for more. I really wish they would invest more in it and make it more of a "Riverwalk" with shops and restaurants. Maybe in time it will become that. Then you have Hollywood that doesn't even have a hotel with it. They should have trying to compete more with the Belle this whole time.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

To a certain degree, the casinos will build as little as they think they can get away with. Harrah's originally promised Biloxi that their development would be at least $1b. Now, that has been scaled back to $700m with a possible $300m "upgrade" somewhere down the line. I still think the project may end up costing $1b, but one can never be sure. Also, with many of these huge projects, one simply ends up where most of the money goes as the end products do not always reflect the amount of funds invested. One has only to look at the Westin Diplomat in Hollywood, Florida. While not a casino hotel, it was built for $800m at a time when this represented an astonishing amount of money. Yes, it's beautiful, but I couldn't help wondering if all that concrete hadn't been hyper-inflated to enrich someone somewhere along the pipeline. If a casino company meets local resistance to a cheap project, they will possibly spend more or they may withdraw altogether. It would be nice to see Baton Rouge sit up and demand more.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yeah that is ashame the casinos wait to upgrade only after the announcement of Pinnacle. Good idea! I think a "Riverwalk" type development would be nice around the Atrium area. It makes for a cool boxing venue! Hollywood may finally decide to build a hotel one day; I don't understand how you build a casino without also attaching a hotel??? :dontknow:

Would Pinnacle be better off just trying WBR instead??

Thanks for the imput Tom! I don't gamble so I'm not an authority on the subject...I just believe BR is better off with two casinos where they are on each end of downtown.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yeah that is ashame the casinos wait to upgrade only after the announcement of Pinnacle. Good idea! I think a "Riverwalk" type development would be nice around the Atrium area. It makes for a cool boxing venue! Hollywood may finally decide to build a hotel one day; I don't understand how you build a casino without also attaching a hotel??? :dontknow:

Would Pinnacle be better off just trying WBR instead??

Thanks for the imput Tom! I don't gamble so I'm not an authority on the subject...I just believe BR is better off with two casinos where they are on each end of downtown.

I agree Richy, I think we are good with the 2 we have. I mean I like the idea of a "resort" type development, but I just don't see Pinnacle ever doing what they say they are going to do. I see them plopping a casino there and building some crappy hotel with it, and thats the end to that. As far as the "Riverwalk" I think the Atrium would fit the bill for that. It's a pretty good size as it is. I don't really remember to much what the inside looks like, it's been years since I've been in there. My memory may be bad but I thought it already had a few little shops in it. I think it would be great if it would have more shops of "local flare", dedicated more to Louisiana culture and stuff, a "tourist trap" so to speak.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I support Pinnacle. I have been to Lau' Berge plenty of times, and they place is beautiful. But, thats not what Pinnacle is going to do in Baton Rouge. What they are going to build is just barely a step up from the down town casinos. Not to mention its going to be in the middle of neighborhoods, not a commercial area. I live right off bluebonnet, I do not want to deal with the extra traffic, and im sure my neighbors dont either. If pinnacle wants this casino in east baton rouge parish, they are going to have to put it downtown, or i see it getting voted down. Forget about revitilzing gardier, what about Old South Baton Rouge and Nicholson? The more development closer to downtown, the better. Think about the night life it could create. Thats my two cents, lol

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I support Pinnacle. I have been to Lau' Berge plenty of times, and they place is beautiful. But, thats not what Pinnacle is going to do in Baton Rouge. What they are going to build is just barely a step up from the down town casinos. Not to mention its going to be in the middle of neighborhoods, not a commercial area. I live right off bluebonnet, I do not want to deal with the extra traffic, and im sure my neighbors dont either. If pinnacle wants this casino in east baton rouge parish, they are going to have to put it downtown, or i see it getting voted down. Forget about revitilzing gardier, what about Old South Baton Rouge and Nicholson? The more development closer to downtown, the better. Think about the night life it could create. Thats my two cents, lol

Well buckett sorry to disappoint but Pinnacle has already said they have no intentions on putting it downtown. That there isn't enough land to do what they want, with golf course, etc... But like I said before I don't see anything other than Phase I, the casino, getting built. I, like you, would much rather see it downtown on the Nicholson corridor. I still say they should have just bought the license for one of the casino's that are dwntwn, and just expand it from there. Take the Belle for instance, it already has a hotel, the Atrium is right there, they could have done so much with what already exist with that one casino. Could you imagine what dwntwn would be like if they had a hotel tower like the Lau' Berge one, talk about fantastic. Adjacent to the RiverCenter, USS Kidd, close proximity to the Shaw Center, Planetarium, and 3rd St. It could have done so much for Old SBR. And that's my 2 cents. LOL :whistling:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well buckett sorry to disappoint but Pinnacle has already said they have no intentions on putting it downtown. That there isn't enough land to do what they want, with golf course, etc... But like I said before I don't see anything other than Phase I, the casino, getting built. I, like you, would much rather see it downtown on the Nicholson corridor. I still say they should have just bought the license for one of the casino's that are dwntwn, and just expand it from there. Take the Belle for instance, it already has a hotel, the Atrium is right there, they could have done so much with what already exist with that one casino. Could you imagine what dwntwn would be like if they had a hotel tower like the Lau' Berge one, talk about fantastic. Adjacent to the RiverCenter, USS Kidd, close proximity to the Shaw Center, Planetarium, and 3rd St. It could have done so much for Old SBR. And that's my 2 cents. LOL :whistling:

Actually, to be completly honest. I would much rather see pinnacle keep the liscense in downtown Lake Charles. Being that Im from that area, I would rather Lake Charles have a casino worked into there river front master plan, they would really benifit from it(as would BR). But once again, pinnacle has made it clear they wont do that either. People from Lake CHarles are mad that they are losing their downtown casino, and many people from BR arnt happy with where pinnacle wants to put the new casino. Im starting to not like this company. lol

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

Well I have made my decision that I will not be supporting Pinnacle. I am not happy with the planned area for the development nor am I happy with the way the plans are constantly changing. I don't trust anything about it, especially considering now that the hotel will only have 100 rooms, I'd hardly call that a "resort". Not to mention I would rather have the 2 casinos downtown with all there new development then have some crap "resort" out on River Rd. I vote NO!!!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well I have made my decision that I will not be supporting Pinnacle. I am not happy with the planned area for the development nor am I happy with the way the plans are constantly changing. I don't trust anything about it, especially considering now that the hotel will only have 100 rooms, I'd hardly call that a "resort". Not to mention I would rather have the 2 casinos downtown with all there new development then have some crap "resort" out on River Rd. I vote NO!!!!

i feel like any developent in baton rouge is better than none

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I know I'm being a flip-flopper ,but this project appeals to me again, that is, if it gets done. I'm disapointed with the hotel though, not just because it got scaled down so many times,but because it just dosen't look that special.

22rn3.jpg

untitledoq3.jpg

This artist's rendering of Pinnacle Entertainment's proposed Casino Riviere riverboat casino complex, unveiled Tuesday during a news conference at the Shaw Center, envisions a 70,000-square-foot-casino, restaurants, an entertainment venue and a 100-room hotel at the Mississippi River near Gardere Lane. Later phases might include a 250-acre golf course, retail outlets and single-family homes and multi-family residences.

Baton Rouge Business Report

Advocate

Link to comment
Share on other sites

For me to change my mine and vote yes for the project they would have to put out a detailed report on when ALL of it will be completed. I don't want just a projected completion for the hotel and casino. I want to know when they will be doin the retail, residential, golf course, etc... I think they are promising all of it but in all actuality all that will ever get done is the casino/hotel. I see no reason why the hotel,casino and at least the retail can't be done at the same time. I think it's all just empty promises to get EBR residents to vote for it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'd be okay with it as long as you couldn't see any of it from Nicholson or Bluebonnet.

Does voting yes mean that we approve only those plans, or the casino in general?

In any case, downtown casinos need to improve. Competing with each other just isn't working out. It took a third player for the Belle to decided to upgrade.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'd be okay with it as long as you couldn't see any of it from Nicholson or Bluebonnet.

Does voting yes mean that we approve only those plans, or the casino in general?

In any case, downtown casinos need to improve. Competing with each other just isn't working out. It took a third player for the Belle to decided to upgrade.

Voting yes means we approve the whole project but the first phase is just the casino/hotel. The rest will come in phases later. They don't expect the casino/hotel to be completed til 2010. They aren't going to start the rest of it until they start making money so we are talkin many years later before we could actually see any other phases being done. I think the residential development would be the last be done. They only want to make money, it's a business I can't blame them, so of course they are only worried about getting the casino up. Like many on the metro council has stated once they have the casino they DON'T have to do any of the other plans, and probably won't. Thats why I said I want to see a complete timeline set in stone for the whole project before I would consider voting yes.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.