Rio project planned

Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2003 | 11:05 a.m.

The Rio hotel-casino is expected to announce today a major construction project that will involve a joint-venture partner.

Representatives of The Rio and and its parent company, Harrah's Entertainment Inc., would not comment on the plans.

In 2002, Harrah's submitted a use permit application to the county to build a 1,486-room hotel and a 70,000-square-foot casino on a 14-acre parcel of land on the north side of The Rio. Harrah's also applied to rezone the land from light industrial to resort use. The county commission approved the plans in April 2002.

The zoning change is effective until April 2005, county records show. If The Rio wanted to build a project significantly different from its initial use permit it would need to file updated plans with the county. The Rio hasn't made any use permit applications for the site since 2002, records show.

Harrah's has discussed possibly expanding The Rio since at least 2000. Casino industry analysts contacted Monday and today said they weren't aware of specifics but said they wouldn't be surprised to hear about a new room tower at the resort.

"I think the demand's there," Deutsche Bank Securities analyst Marc Falcone said.