LV firm obtains permit for casino resort

Thursday, July 10, 2003 | 11:15 a.m.

LAKE CHARLES, La. -- Pinnacle Entertainment Inc. of Las Vegas has received a wetlands permit to construct its $325 million casino resort.

The permit by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is conditional, but the company and the Port of Lake Charles, where the site is located, are moving to meet all the requirements, port officials said Wednesday.

Port officials said the casino company hopes to begin construction by mid-August with an opening date in late 2004.

The resort will feature a hotel with 700 guest rooms and suites. It will also have 28,000 square feet of meeting space for conventions, five restaurants, a championship golf course, and the state's largest riverboat casino.

The license for the project is the 15th and final riverboat gambling permit allowed by state law.

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