Le Lézard
Classified in: Tourism and vacations, Business
Subject: CXP

Spectacle Entertainment and Hard Rock International Break Ground On $400 Million Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana


GARY, Ind., Jan. 13, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Spectacle Entertainment and Hard Rock International announced the development and construction of Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana at an official groundbreaking ceremony held on Thursday, Jan. 9. The ceremony was conducted at the construction site, located at 5400 West 29th Ave. in Gary, and included state and local officials, Spectacle Entertainment and Hard Rock executives.

First row, left to right: Executive Vice President Spectacle Entertainment Jim Brown, Chief Operating Officer Hard Rock International Jon Lucas, Chairman of the Seminole Tribe of Florida Marcellus Osceola, Chairman and Chief Executive Office Spectacle Entertainment Rod Ratcliff, Vice Chairman Spectacle Entertainment Greg Gibson, Gary Mayor Jerome Prince, Executive Vice President Spectacle Entertainment and General Manager Majestic Star Casino Jahnae Erpenbach, Executive Director Indiana Gaming Commission Sara Tait, President and CEO of the South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority Speros Batitstatos. Second Row, left to right: Hard Rock International Board Of Directors Member Robert Gips, Former Gary Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson, Gary Common Council President Mike Brown, Marlon Jackson, Senior Vice President Design & Project Development Hard Rock International Joe Emanuele, Jackie Jackson, Tito Jackson, Former Indiana State Senator Earline Rogers, President of Gary Chamber of Commerce Chuck Hughes, Vice President of Development Spectacle Entertainment Rich Zeigler, Senior Vice President of Casino Development Hard Rock International Sean Caffery, Vice President and General Counsel Spectacle Entertainment John Keeler.

Concluding the ceremony, Executive Director of the Indiana Gaming Commission Sara Tait, Spectacle Entertainment Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Rod Ratcliff and Chairman of the Seminole Tribe of Florida Marcellus Osceola planted shovels to commemorate the start of construction on Indiana's first Hard Rock property. Various other officials, including Gary Mayor Jerome Prince and Hard Rock International Chief Operating Officer Jon Lucas joined the trio on stage.

The premier 200,000-square-foot entertainment complex is a joint venture between the two companies and will include six food venues, a sportsbook, a retail shop, a 2,000-seat showroom and more than 2,130 gaming positions. Phase two of the project will see the addition of a 200-plus-room hotel and a multi-level parking garage.

Guests of Honor at the ceremony were Tito, Jackie and Marlon Jackson, of the world-renowned Jackson family. The brothers began their career while residing in Gary and returned to the area as a group for the first time in fifty years. With hits like "I Want You Back" and "Never Can Say Goodbye," The Jacksons are known as one of the most influential families in musical history.

Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana is forecasting more than $20 million annually in tax revenue and payments to the City of Gary and surrounding communities. Approximately 1,000 construction jobs, with an emphasis to hire union labor, and an estimated additional 500 jobs are expected. With a location adjacent to the 80/94 Burr Street interchange and approximately 193,000 cars passing daily, the expectation is to become the leading entertainment destination for the entire Northern Indiana region.

Additionally, Spectacle Entertainment has a commitment to local investment with a pledge to work with minority and women owned businesses. Currently all 17 senior leaders at Spectacle's Majestic Star Casino are board directors for local charitable and community organizations in Gary and the Northern Indiana region. The team has sponsored, participated and volunteered for multiple local events and programs throughout the year, with a plan to directly drive more than $500,000 in fundraising in 2020.

Ratcliff stated, "Breaking ground for Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana is the start of an incredible partnership between Spectacle Entertainment, Hard Rock International and the City of Gary, Indiana. It is an honor to be here today and to see this dream become a reality. A lot of work has gone into this project, a lot of planning. I'm grateful to all those who played a part in it. There is no doubt this is a game changer for Gary, Indiana and the entire Northern Indiana region." 

Hard Rock has a presence in 76 countries and is one of the most recognizable brands in the world. Spectacle Entertainment is confident the Hard Rock name will attract visitors through­out the region and beyond, maximize job creation, increase tax revenues, and greatly benefit the City of Gary and the State of Indiana.

"It's an honor to partner with Spectacle Entertainment on this project, bringing the Hard Rock brand of world-class entertainment to Northern Indiana," said Jon Lucas, Chief Operating Officer of Hard Rock International. "This property will be the premier casino destination in the region."

About Hard Rock®:

With venues in 76 countries spanning 262 locations that include owned/licensed or managed Hotels, Casinos, Rock Shops® and Cafes - Hard Rock International (HRI) is one of the most globally recognized companies. Beginning with an Eric Clapton guitar, Hard Rock owns the world's most valuable collection of music memorabilia at more than 83,000 pieces, which are displayed at its locations around the globe. In 2018, Hard Rock International was recognized as a Forbes Magazine Top Employer for Women and Land Operator of the Year at the Global Gaming Awards. In 2019, Hard Rock International was honored as one of Forbes Magazine's America's Best Large Employers, Forbes Magazine's Top Employers for Women and No. 1 in J.D. Power's 2019 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Study among Upper Upscale Hotel Chains. Hard Rock destinations are located in the world's greatest international gateway cities, including its two most successful flagship properties in Florida and home to the world's first Guitar Hotel® in South Florida, where its headquarters are located. The brand is owned by HRI parent entity The Seminole Tribe of Florida. For more information on Hard Rock International visit www.hardrock.com or shop.hardrock.com.

About Spectacle Entertainment and Majestic Star Casino: Spectacle Entertainment's Majestic Star Casino, located on Buffington Harbor in Gary, Indiana, features a wide variety of slot, video poker and live table games. Acquired by Spectacle Entertainment in March 2019, Majestic Star Casino offers a 2000-space parking garage and a pavilion containing land-based restaurants, bars and meeting facilities. Spectacle Entertainment is an Indiana-owned company managed by Hoosiers with a deep experience in the gaming and entertainment industry for more information on gaming, entertainment and promotions visit www.majesticstar.com.

Contact: Christi Hardesty
Spectacle Entertainment
[email protected]
Phone: (219) 977-7913

SOURCE Hard Rock International


These press releases may also interest you

at 11:43
Hard Rock International announces the global launch of Unity by Hard Rocktm, a one-of-a-kind loyalty program that rewards members for doing the things they love across Hard Rock's portfolio of more than 200 locations including hotels, cafes and Rock...

at 11:25
Ocean Casino Resort will be flying guests by helicopter to Atlantic City in style all summer long, as today it announced its partnership with global air mobility platform, BLADE, to offer nonstop air travel from New York City directly to Ocean's...

at 10:30
The 2024 travel forecast is looking sunny with a chance of savings. Despite increasing inflation, according to the latest internal data from KAYAK, the world's leading travel search engine, airfare is down 13% for domestic and 3% for international...

at 10:30
TravelInsurance.com welcomes IMG (International Medical Group), an award-winning global insurance benefits and assistance services company, to its leading travel insurance comparison marketplace. TravelInsurance.com provides the simplest method to...

at 10:15
The Westminster Kennel Club (WKC) announced today its corporate partners for the 148th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. America's most prestigious dog show, presented by Purina Pro Plan for the...

at 10:05
As travel will be at historic levels this summer accompanied with rising costs, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines is launching its new brand platform Travel Well to promote and encourage meaningful travel to its 30.3 million passengers flying each year. KLM...



News published on and distributed by: