Margaritaville Casino - River Spirit - Tulsa
On Thursday, August 25, 2016, RedStone will join the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, Manhattan Construction Group, the residents of Tulsa and more in celebrating the grand opening of the first half of the River Spirit Casino and Hotel expansion. For RedStone, the opening also marks an important milestone in the construction of the largest project in company history.
“Knowing how this project's magnitude and complexity exemplifies who we are, and RedStone's ‘can do’ attitude does nothing but make me so proud of all our people and continued teamwork,” said Ted Lambert, Senior Project Manager at RedStone.
Construction on the expansion began in 2013. The section of the expansion that opens this week includes Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville restaurant, casino and coffee shop, along with a six-level garage, a retail center, a grand ballroom, and a porte cochere with an enclosed walkway.
“We encourage everyone to come see and enjoy a remarkable milestone and landmark that RedStone and Manhattan Construction Group constructed on the river here in Tulsa,” continued Lambert.
River Spirit not only means a lot to RedStone; it means a lot to Tulsans. Expected to create more than 2,200 jobs for local residents and bring $135.1 million to the Tulsa economy each year, River Spirit is changing the skyline of Tulsa as well as the outlook for future riverfront development.
“It’s a game-changer,” Pat Crofts, Chief Executive Officer for Muscogee (Creek) Nation Casinos, told the Tulsa World. “For the tribe, for the city, for the whole Tulsa area. I think when people see it, they will realize that.”
The second half of the expansion will conclude at the end of 2016 with the opening of a 29-story hotel overlooking the river, a theater with luxury seats to accommodate more than 2,500, a Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, a resort spa and a 1.1-mile walking trail along the river bank.
“People are blown away by what they’ve seen already,” said Senior Program Manager Randall Hull of PMg while leading a tour of the facility. “But they haven’t seen everything yet.”
Crofts echoed that sentiment.
“Tulsa doesn’t know what’s about to hit it. I mean, this is going to be big. Really big.”
For RedStone, River Spirit is already big and has been a big part of the lives of many RedStone team members and their families for the past three years. From numerous employees on the construction site to those in the corporate office, many hands at RedStone played a role in the project’s success.
“There have been early mornings, long days, late evenings, all nighters, holidays and weekends during our journey together,” said Lambert.
On Tuesday, August 23rd, RedStone team members got to experience the fruits of their labor at a soft opening event, and the pride of a job well done was evident.
“I personally am so proud of our entire ‘family’ here at RedStone who have committed so much to ensure our success, show our desire to always be the best, and display our meaning of serving our client, our character and our family,” Lambert said.
“Thanks so much to everyone involved. My pride and confidence in our RedStone family is at an all-time high.”
Click here to view more photos of River Spirit and this week's festivities on the RedStone Facebook page.