Quarry company gets first casino building contract

Wednesday, Aug. 17, 2005 | 9:46 a.m.

FRENCH LICK, Ind. -- A quarry company became the first firm to receive a $1 million contract to help build a casino in Orange County.

General contractor Lauth Construction LLC awarded Cave Quarries Inc. of Paoli the contract to move fill dirt to the construction area.

The centerpiece of the $250 million project will be an 80,000-square-foot, nautical-themed casino to be built next to the French Lick Springs Resort, one of the sites frequented by gamblers and movie stars during the town's 1920s heyday.

The state Gaming Commission gave initial approval in June to the casino proposal, led by Bloomington billionaire William Cook's company -- Cook Group -- and Indianapolis-based Lauth Property Group.

Their plan was the only one submitted when the bidding process reopened in March after Donald Trump's casino company withdrew from its French Lick contract. The Cook-Lauth partnership is named Blue Sky Casino.

Developers plan to have Indiana's 11th casino, with 1,000 slot machines and at least 25 tables for games such as poker and blackjack, open by late next year in the community 50 miles south of Bloomington.

Cave Quarries Inc. was founded in 1918 and has 60 employees in Paoli, just east of French Lick. Blue Sky has said it wants to use local labor when possible.

"As soon as the contract was finalized, our team was ready," said Joe Knies, president of Cave Quarries in a statement. "We are honored to be a part of this historic project."

The work that will take about a month will involve moving fill dirt to bring the casino, parking garage and event center area out of the flood plain.

Vernon Back, general counsel for Lauth Group, has encouraged many smaller contractors to partner with larger ones so that everyone will benefit from the planned casino work.