Station Casino Ups the Ante in K.C.

31 October 1996

LAS VEGAS -- Competition is growing in the Kansas City riverboat gaming market. With the Flamingo Hilton finally open, Station Casinos, Inc. is lining up for a mega-development which may blow its ailing neighbor, Sam's Town, out of the water.

Stations has announced that it will provide a multi-screen theater, a child-care facility, and two restaurants for Station Casino Kansas City as part of a Phase II expansion.

Act III Theatres will own and operate a 67,000 square foot, 18 screen theater complex at Station Casino Kansas City. It will be one of the first theaters in the Kansas City to feature state of the art sound and picture quality as well as "stadium seating." The complex is master planned for up to 25 screens. Act III also manages multi-screen movie theaters at Station properties in Las Vegas, including Boulder Station Hotel & Casino, Texas Station Gambling Hall & Hotel and Sunset Station Hotel & Casino. These theaters consistently rank as the top three revenue-producing theaters in Las Vegas. The Kansas City Station Theaters are scheduled to open in April, 1997.

Looking for local flavor...BBQ-style. It can be had at Station's. The famed Arthur Bryant's Barbecue, a renowned barbecue restaurant with over 50 years of operation in Kansas City, will open its second restaurant in Station Casino Kansas City. The design, decor and prices will be similar to the original restaurant that has drawn acclaim for decades as the "world's best barbecue."

If your luck at the tables is down, you can enjoy some Kansas City music. The Phoenix Piano Bar and Grill, a pre-eminent Kansas City jazz club, will also expand its operations to Station Casino Kansas City. The Phoenix at Station Casino Kansas City will seat 140 and offer live entertainment seven days a week.

New Horizon Kids Quest, Inc. will operate an 11,000 square foot child care facility, the first of its kind in the Kansas City area.

In addition to new facilities created as a result of securing these strategic alliances, Station Casino Kansas City has also been expanded to include the following:

Special Events Room: The property will feature a 13,500 square foot special events room to house concerts, sporting events, and other gatherings.

Microbrewery: Station Casinos will own and operate a 300 seat microbrewery similar to the concept it has successfully utilized at Barley's Casino and Brewing Company in Las Vegas. The microbrewery will open in April 1997.

Arcade: A 5,000 square foot arcade and midway along with an ice cream parlor will also be open in April 1997.

Expanded Casino Space: The project will include the full build out of the second floor of both gaming facilities to include approximately 900 additional slot machines and 60 table games. The project will now offer over 140,000 square feet of casino space with approximately 3,000 slot machines and 180 table games.

All components of the Phase II expansion are expected to be available for the project's expected opening in December, subject to approval from the Missouri Gaming Commission, except for the movie theaters, the arcade and the microbrewery, which will open in April, 1997.

The total cost of the project is now $255 million. Station Casinos Executive Vice President/Chief Financial Officer Glenn Christenson couldn't be happier with the situation. "We are pleased to align Station Casino Kansas City with several quality operators with a history of success," Christenson said. "We are also pleased to establish new relationships with operators with long standing roots in the local community we are about to serve. As the project takes shape, we are encouraged by the number of third parties that wish to participate in Station Casino Kansas City's continued development by committing both operational and financial resources. With 171 acres available for development, we will continue to investigate strategic alliances that we believe will expand the market and our market share."
Source: PR Newswire