New 2,000 seat venue coming to Ottawa

[Velvet]

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/hard-rock-international-partners-with-rideau-carleton-raceway-1.4115181

The Rideau Carleton Raceway will undergo a multimillion-dollar expansion that will bring a hotel, a music venue and hundreds of new jobs to the struggling Ottawa horse racing and gambling facility.

The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) announced Monday that Hard Rock International will partner with the raceway, with the two companies investing more than $320 million to create an "integrated entertainment destination" in the city's rural south end.

Hard Rock Casino Ottawa will take over the day-to-day operations of the slots at the raceway in the fall of 2017 as part of a 20-year agreement, OLG said in a release.

The number of slots are expected to increase to 2,000 from 1,250 and 21 gaming tables will be added.

Hard Rock Casino Ottawa is a partnership between Hard Rock International and Rideau Carleton Raceway. (Jean-Sebastien Marier/Radio-Canada)

 

Jim Allen, chair of Hard Rock International, revealed details of the "master plan vision" for the raceway at a news conference Monday afternoon.

The first phase, Allen said, would involve modest renovations to the Albion Road complex, plus the addition of new attractions at the casino by the end of 2017.

That would be followed by a major expansion of the entertainment options at the raceway — including a hotel, a Hard Rock Café and bar, and a 2,000-seat venue for live music, he said.

 

The plan also includes building a new entrance to the raceway that would create "a sense of arrival," said Allen.

Horse racing will remain at the raceway, with Ottawa West-Nepean MPP and provincial infrastructure minister Bob Chiarelli saying the new deal would "ensure the survivability of this iconic sport."

Prior to Monday's news conference Nepean-Carleton MPP Lisa MacLeod said the announcement was great news for her community, which has suffered from lower attendance at the raceway recently. 

"I'm looking at $320 million investment into my community that will, I think, drive more growth in the city's south end," she said. "I'm going to see a lot more stability for the horse people, and we're going to see 1900 construction jobs."

[Booche]

Wicked.

 

And I am really looking forward to you dropping me off after the shows because you are gonna be the designated driver Velvet.

[Velvet]

I'll just gamble enough to get a hotel room comped.

[Davey Boy 2.0]

[Booche]

"I'll just gamble enough to get a hotel room comped. "

 

 

[edger]

You horse people deserve it;)

[Davey Boy 2.0]