Peek inside Horseshoe Casino Cleveland shows promise of things to come when casino opens in May

CLEVELAND - After a year of work, the Horseshoe Casino Cleveland has seen a steady transformation from construction zone to gaming palace.

“When you got 600 people a day in here, it's truly amazing how this place progresses each and every day,” said Jeff Cohen, a Rock Gaming principal overseeing construction.

The carpet is down on the main gaming floor, which customers will be able to enter from Public Square, Prospect Avenue and Terminal Tower. This floor, level two, will feature 700 slot machines and 30 tables. The bases for the slots are in place ready for the casino to begin taking delivery of the gaming machines, which is expected to begin next week.

What this latest tour revealed, though, was the attention to detail with the woodwork, lighting and brass that casino executives promised when plans were announced to spend $350 million converting the first four floors of the Higbee into a Phase I casino.

“As you look around you see the columns, the level of detail, even the art deco woodwork that's surrounding the columns,” said Cohen. “As you come in here and you look, it'll appear as it did back in the '20s.”

Cohen said the casino would have been ready to open March 26, the first talked about date later pushed back to May 14 by Ohio’s Casino Control Commission.

“This extra time that we've got is really a bonus. It's given us the ability to fine tune everything, tweak things, get all the kitchen equipment burned in, get our employees trained and ready for opening," said Cohen.

On level one, work is progressing on the 400-seat buffet restaurant. The same is true on level 3, which -- in addition to 1,400 slots and 34 table games -- will house the casino’s three-restaurant food court. The food court will feature Michael Symon’s B Spot, Corky & Lenny’s and a third restaurant that casino officials expect to announce shortly.

Those food options, along with a bar on level two, are meant to meet the immediate needs of casino customers but not keep them in the building, which is in contrast to most casinos.

“Typical casino development is built to be self-contained, all of your amenities and assets are inside of that casino,” said Horseshoe General Manager Marcus Glover. “We’ve deliberately programmed this casino to partner with our exterior surroundings.

“So all of our fine dining will be done with partners around the local community,” he said. “So rather than coming in here and eating in a Horseshoe steakhouse, we're going to say you know go to Morton's or go to Hyde Park or go John Q's or go to a steakhouse that is in the nearby vicinity.

“We felt there was ample quality supply in the market and we did not want to cannibalize that existing supply.”

The tour Tuesday may very well be the last look that’s allowed inside the casino prior to its soft opening in May, because the rules change once the casino takes delivery of its gambling equipment.

“From the minute that we accept delivery, it's under surveillance, constant surveillance until it's set in place,” said Cohen. “And then only people with very specific needs are allowed on the floor once the game equipment's been put into place.”

Work also continues on a five-level parking deck and welcome center, which despite the setback in December when part of a deck collapsed, will be ready to open with the casino in May.