Churchill Downs Inc. officials announced construction has been delayed on the Queen of Terre Haute Casino in Indiana until the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) approves the project.
Queen of Terre Haute General Manager Michael Rich said, “It’s a normal part of the construction process. There’s some general construction permitting that needed to take place that’s standard in the state of Indiana that they needed to review. However, the approval from the Department of Homeland Security should be in any day by now.”
Rich said work crews have been sent home until DHS gives the okay. “After the Queen of Terre Haute gets federal approval, things will become lively at the building site again. It’ll happen immediately. You’ve already seen, if you’ve driven by the site, the groundwork start to occur, and we’re excited to begin correcting steel once we get those approvals finalized.”
Meanwhile, Rich said some changes have been made to the plans for the interior of the casino, which is expected to open in March 2024. “There are new concepts for hotel rooms and suites and new renderings of bars, restaurants and the main lobby. We’ll also have a bar and grill, Rock Wood and a steakhouse called the Four Corner Steakhouse. So, there will be three restaurants in a row right off the gaming floor for people to enjoy,” he said.
Rich said he hopes the new casino will attract visitors from the Wabash Valley. “A lot of people have to go gamble in local convenience stores in the Illinois side, or they have to travel hours if they live in Terre Haute or play somewhere in the southern part of the state or Indianapolis. This allows the Wabash Valley residents to have something in their backyard that they can be proud of,” Rich said.
