Kansas Star Casino announced its extension project, which was estimated to amount to $20 million. It involves the construction of a meeting center and an equestrian one with 183 stalls for horse shows to be held. Both establishments are to open doors by the middle of December.
These will be the finishing touches to the casino’s whole refurbishment project. Thus, it could be said that Boyd Gaming, together with the venue’s previous operator Peninsula Gaming, has invested a total of $330 million in it.
The Kansas Star opened its doors for fans of casino games back in 2011. It was temporarily accommodated in another building, until its actual one was finished. It was moved to its permanent home towards the end of 2012.
The venue also offers accommodation for its guests – the Hampton Inn & Suites, which has a total of 300 rooms.
The Equestrian Center
The establishment of an equestrian center was one of the state’s primary goals when it awarded license to the current manager of the gambling zone in the south-central part of Kansas.
At present, rodeos can be held at the Kansas Star equine facility. And Tim Lanier, director of the arena, promised that all kinds of horse shows will take place at the new 20,000-square-foot one. He also made sure to point out that Kansas Star will provide its visitors with something that no other venue has ever offered, for their equestrian center will be the best and most modern in the area and, what is more, they already offer a wide range of other entertainment as well as accommodation options.
Lanier, who has previously operated equine facilities in Texas and Las Vegas, shared that at least 10 to 12 horse shows will be held at the new arena in 2015, 24 in 2016, and 36 in 2017, being the third year of its operation. He also stated that one such event can be attended by no less than five hundred people. The reason for this is the fact that such kind of “tourism” is not offered in Kansas and it will certainly draw attention.
Apart from the 183 permanent stalls, temporary ones can be mounted for the purposes of bigger shows. For instance, Kansas Star has been considering the organization of an event that would require for more than 400 stalls to be provided.
The Events Center
As for the events center, it will be predominantly intended for weddings, business meetings, conventions, and all other sorts of public events and celebrations. It is situated right next to the arena.
Dan Ihm, assistant general manager at Kansas Star, shared that the center will be equipped with a huge video wall, three bathrooms, and enough room for 400 people to be seated. He added that bookings for events are already being accepted.
Back in August, the Hampton Inn & Suites re-opened, offering a total of 300 rooms for its guests. And Joe Shanks, general manager of the venue, stated that it has been doing even better than it was initially expected.
