City officials balk at Boonville casino plans

Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2000 | 9:33 a.m.

Isle of Capri has closed a deal to buy rights to the Victorian Star casino, and wants to change the riverboat theme initially approved by the city to a Carribbean theme.

Isle of Capri, which plans a casino project worth $70 million to $75 million, signed a contract Thursday with Davis Gaming. Isle of Capri executive vice president Allan Solomon said the contract sets a March 31 deadline for city approval.

"For everyone concerned, the sooner the better," Solomon said. "We're prepared to move right ahead."

But Mayor Bud Kempf says he is not sure if he supports the design change.

"I'm not ready to approve it," Kempf said. "Why approve something that's so much different from what you've been working with for four years?"

Kempf says he doesn't know why Davis Gaming got out of the project.

"The plan that Davis Gaming had is absolutely gorgeous," Kempf said.

Solomon emphasized that Isle of Capri is willing to compromise on the casino's design.

"There's the interior and there's the exterior," he said. "We would certainly want the interior to match with the Caribbean theme."

Design of the exterior could be negotiated, he said.

Another problem with Isle of Capri's proposed design is that the casino would be built over the cross-state Katy trail, which now runs along the riverfront.

Boonville councilman Don Williams said he wouldn't support any changes to the trail. "At the last meeting, Isle of Capri told us very bluntly that letting the Katy trail go through the property would cost them an extra million dollars, so they don't plan to do it," he said. "I don't have any intentions of voting for the contract if it doesn't contain the original plan to have the Katy trail there."

The Isle of Capri plan must be approved by the city and by state gaming officials.