Expanded Greektown gambling area set to open
8/5/2008DETROIT Greektown Casino plans to open its expanded gaming floor on Aug. 29, weeks ahead of schedule.
The 25,000-square-foot expansion will add about 700 slot machines to the 2,300 already in place. The 30-story hotel tower s steel skeleton, sheathed in blue glass, was completed last week. Greektown Casino CEO Craig Ghelfi says contractors now will concentrate on completing the 400 hotel rooms, hallways, a two-story lobby and meeting space.
Ghelfi says the hotel is expected to open in early 2009.
Greektown filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in May after construction crews threatened to quit because they hadn t been paid for months. The bankruptcy filing allowed Greektown to obtain financing for completion of the $500 million project.
Greektown spokesman Roger Martin says the casino is on track to exit bankruptcy by the end of next summer.