During the preconstruction phase of this more than 300,000-square-foot casino/hotel project, Kitchell brought the client and team together to determine how to deliver the project within budget while incorporating local, culturally relevant materials. A series of collaborative meetings allowed the team to also discover $20 million in cost savings without significantly impacting the end user experience or the client’s ability to generate revenue. Mindful of providing solutions that maintained the client’s overall goals of delivering a luxurious experience for patrons, Kitchell team members also brainstormed 72 separate value engineering items. The client accepted 41 suggestions, for a savings of $7.1 million.

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• Building of America Award, Real Estate & Construction Review
• Collaborative efforts during preconstruction realized $20 million in cost savings
• Additional value engineering suggestions generated client savings in the millions

With Kitchell’s expertise in remodeling casinos, the owner knew that we were the ones to turn to for a remodel and expansion while maintaining operations. The 46,000-square-foot, three-story hotel addition included guest rooms, and entertainment, dining, and convention spaces. Computer modeling was used during the conceptual design phase to illustrate available options and to gain consensus on the final design direction. The new hotel and conference center, along with the existing casino, now offers 92,804 square feet of gaming, restaurants, lodging and entertainment. During the project’s construction, the main entry was relocated to provide easy, unobstructed access for the casino customers.

Construction Manager at Risk

• Other than main entry, all functions remained fully in place until new facility opened
• Revenues increased to record levels during construction

Kitchell was responsible for keeping the existing casino and buffet operations open during this major expansion and remodel, which included a 40,645-square-foot renovation and 64,328-square-foot expansion. Kitchell completed concurrent additions to all four sides of the existing structure and relocated the porte cochere. The addition was completed first and operations were moved into the new space while the existing casino was remodeled.

Construction Manager at Risk

• Wrap over entire building enabled casino to remain operational
• Revenues actually increased during construction
• Required complete relocation of MIS and Surveillance Departments, and several utility lines
• Relocated the entrance drive
• Excavated more than 200,000 cubic yards of rock

Wild Horse Pass Hotel and Casino is the first Vegas-style gaming establishment in the greater metropolitan Phoenix area, with more than 400,000 square feet of entertainment and hospitality offerings. Built for the Gila River Indian Community, the project features a 10-story 242-room hotel plus 100,000 square feet of gaming space and more than 12,000 square feet of meeting space. The casino includes 1,000 slot machines, 50 multi-game tables, a poker room with 24 tables and a non-smoking slot machine area. In addition, there’s a night club, a 1,400-seat theater and several high-end dining options and food court venues. Kitchell also built an 800-space, four-story, pre-cast parking garage.

Construction Manager at Risk

• Guests are greeted by 3,000-pound steel and wood horse leaping from a pool of cobalt glass
• As many as 800 workers were on site during peak construction periods
• Multiple water features used to honor the culture of the Gila River Indian Community