SEARCH NEWS:

 

California Tribe, Perini Sign Casino Construction Contract

HIGHLAND, California -- (PRESS RELEASE) -- Perini Building Co. signed a construction contract with the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians to build a new casino. Perini's contract is approximately $200 million. Perini Building Co. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Perini Corp. (NYSE: PCR).

Perini's contract includes building a new casino and bingo complex, a parking garage, surface parking lots, and an enclosed pedestrian bridge.

Perini's contract is part of the tribe's multi-phased strategy to drive economic stimulation in the community. In the next two years, the tribe estimates the project will provide more than $200 million in economic growth to surrounding areas through new vendor relationships, construction and architectural partnerships and job growth. Perini alone plans to hire more than 1,000 crafts people at the peak of construction.

'We have always selected premier vendors and Perini has the expertise and stellar reputation needed for our new casino development project,'said Deron Marquez, chairman of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians. 'Perini excels at high-quality construction and completing projects expeditiously -- which is of utmost importance to the tribe as we strive to build an outstanding entertainment property while minimizing the impact of construction on neighboring areas.'

Perini broke ground on the new casino Dec. 1, 2003 and anticipates opening the 465,000-square-foot facility in January 2005. The existing San Manuel Indian Bingo and Casino will remain in operation throughout the construction process.

Safety in and around the construction site is a top priority. Perini has two full-time safety engineers on site in addition to the tribe's risk management department staff which includes five full-time employees dedicated to safety on the site.

'Retaining a high level of customer satisfaction throughout construction is a top priority,'stated Steve DeWeese, project manager for Perini Building Co. 'To alleviate customer inconvenience, before we broke ground on the casino, Perini built three new parking lots so guests can bypass the construction area.'

The new casino has three levels. The basement includes a valet garage with enough parking for 400 cars. The main level of the casino houses the majority of the gaming operations, a buffet restaurant, VIP high limit gaming, a sports bar, and specialty restaurants. This level also contains employee dining and back-of-house facilities. A large bingo area, additional gaming space and executive offices fill the third level.

In an effort to improve traffic flow and mitigate parking congestion, Perini is building a multi-level cast-in-place concrete parking structure with 1,290 parking spaces. The parking garage will open in advance of the casino.

To further enhance each guest's experience, Perini's contract includes a 425-foot-long enclosed pedestrian bridge that will comfortably and efficiently transport people to and from the casino and parking garage. The bridge will have four moving walkways, enough to accommodate guests so they can enter the casino without crossing the street, which is an additional safety measure.

Perini is building the casino on an accelerated timetable. 'San Manuel hired Perini, in part, because of our ability to build quality projects in record timeframes. To construct complex facilities under these conditions requires a high level of expertise and experience. Fast track building is what we excel at and is what we like to do,' concluded Dick Rizzo, chairman of Perini Building Co.

< Gaming News