Old mining building to become gaming complex

Joe Kafka

Monday, May 5, 2003 | 9:19 a.m.

DEADWOOD, S.D. -- Greenbacks soon will be flowing in a $38 million entertainment, gambling and lodging complex to be built in an old building once used to glean every last bit of gold from ore, developers say.

Part of the Slime Plant, as the hulking wood and steel structure was named by Homestake Mining Co. in 1906, will be turned into a 1,275-seat theater.

The complex, to be called Deadwood City Limits, will contain a series of casinos, restaurants, shops and several honky-tonks. A 100-room hotel will be erected adjacent to the building, and up to 150 people will be employed at the complex.

Developers say they have secured financing for the project.

Spencer Taylor, an entertainment broker who has worked on similar projects in Dallas, New Orleans and Minneapolis, is among those involved in the Slime Plant conversion.

Theater performances can be broadcast worldwide, and that will give Deadwood great exposure, said Taylor, president and chief operating officer of Deadwood City Limits.

"We'll bring a well-rounded mix of rock and roll, country, nostalgia, gospel, big-name stars and up-and-coming artists to Deadwood on a weekly basis," he said.

The centerpiece, honky-tonk theater, will have two main stages and a large dance floor, Taylor said. A mezzanine area will accommodate VIP and owners' suites, and a live broadcast hookup can transmit concerts around the globe, he said.

Getting the financing has cleared the way for final design work, said Bill McDavid, an owner and partner. Construction should begin this summer and take about 18 months, he said.

"My partners and I are indebted to the residents of Deadwood as well as the leaders in historic preservation and city and county government who have been with us every step of the way," McDavid said.

A local businessman, Tom Griffith, said people in many parts of the country still do not know about Deadwood. Pay-per-view satellite broadcasts from the new theater will provide invaluable publicity for the whole area, he said.

"It's an investment that perhaps represents the largest infusion of confidence and cash in this city's history," Griffith said. "It's not just one more of the same thing. It's building a bigger pie."

Deadwood has had legalized gambling since 1989, and casino officials welcome anything that attracts more business, said Griffith, president of TDG Communications. People from other states may be surprised to learn about all that the Black Hills has to offer, he said.

"We have the largest concentration of parks, amusements and memorials in America right here in an area roughly the size of Delaware," Griffith said.

The massive entertainment complex holds great potential for Deadwood, said Mayor Francis Toscana. The Slime Plant is the top historic preservation project in town that has not been completed, and it is the last remnant of Deadwood's mining history, he said.

"This project takes us to a whole new level of entertainment. It will compliment what we already have established in the gaming industry and put us in the forefront of the music industry in this region," Toscana said.

"Deadwood City Limits will take what has been an eyesore and make it into a gold mine."

The Slime Plant, located in the middle of town along Whitewood Creek, was abandoned by Homestake in 1973. Lawrence County has used it for years as a maintenance shop.

Plans for Deadwood City Limits were first announced two years ago.

In contrast, financing has never been obtained for the $100 million Dunbar resort proposed for Deadwood in 1991 by actor Kevin Costner and his brother, Dan. As envisioned, the resort would have a large hotel, casino, golf courses, movie theaters and shopping.