By BROOKLYN BROWN
One Feather Reporter
MURPHY, N.C. – Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River Casino & Hotel held a media tour of the $275 million construction site for the 25,000 square foot expanded gaming floor, 296-room hotel tower, and 1,500-space parking deck on the morning of Dec. 11. Representatives from general contractor Robins & Morton and Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River General Manager Lumpy Lambert led the tour of the new sites that will hold 400 new slot machines, 12 additional table games, a 10-table World Series of Poker poker room, and 22-seat casino bar.
View renderings of the project
Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River General Manager Lumpy Lambert is shown in front of the expanded gaming floor during a media tour of the facility’s expansion on Monday, Dec. 11. (BROOKLYN BROWN/One Feather photos)
Lambert is pleased with the progress of the expansion, a project he anticipated years ago. “We recognized the necessity of an expansion when we opened eight years ago,” Lambert said. “We are certainly looking forward to the opportunity to grow and expand our market.
Lambert projects 100 new incremental positions, adding that the expansion will aid in generating revenue for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI). “The expansion can assist in not only the continued development of tribal programs, but tribal distribution for enrolled members and job opportunities,” he said. “Assisting tribal distribution and tribal programming are our primary goals for the EBCI.”
Lambert also noted that design elements for the expansion will feature Cherokee cultural elements to maintain the cultural integration of Harrah’s Cherokee Casinos. “It’s always in the game plan to utilize local artists and infuse the culture as best we can,” Lambert added.
Construction of the expanded gaming floor is set to be complete and available to guests in mid-2024. The parking deck is projected to closely follow the gaming floor with an opening in summer 2024. The new hotel tower is projected for late 2024.
The expanded gaming floor.
The new parking deck.
The expanded gaming floor.
