New riverboat is part of $163 million project

Friday, April 8, 2005 | 9:35 a.m.

MICHIGAN CITY, Ind. -- Gamblers at Blue Chip Casino are getting a glimpse of its future -- a $163 million expansion that will include a new riverboat being built nearby.

A scale model of the boat and expanded casino complex now sits in Blue Chip's lobby, detailing in miniature the 65,000-square-foot boat, a new parking garage and other elements of the expansion.

The vessel, which is being built at the casino dock complex, is expected open by late this year with all of the gambling tables and slot machines housed on a single level, said Gary Sawina, the casino's assistant general manager.

"Many casinos are going to the one-level gaming floor, so this isn't new, but people really like it," he said.

So far, the expansion has brought 400 construction jobs to the area. When the expansion is complete, 100 jobs will be added to the riverboat on a waterway near Lake Michigan.

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