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New convention center opens in Cherokee BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER fter three years and $330 million, a new hotel tower and convention center is now open at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort in Cherokee. About 150 people gathered beneath the large porte-cochère outside the lobby for the ribbon-cutting Friday, Oct. 1, with both tribal and casino leaders celebrating the project’s completion as a significant achievement and important move toward diversifying tribal revenue streams. “As we continue our growth and completion, it further solidifies us here in Cherokee as we continue to be the leaders in Western North Carolina, and not just Western North Carolina, but throughout state,” said Harrah’s General Manager Brooks Robinson. The 19-story hotel tower is the casino’s fourth, bringing the resort’s room count from 1,108 to 1,833 rooms. Dubbed The Cherokee, it features Guy Fieri’s Cherokee Kitchen + Bar, from the celebrity chef of the same name, as well as a 24-seat full-service Starbucks and lobby bar. “We are able to walk on the ancestral land that our family has walked for thousands years,” said Tommy Lambert, chair of the Tribal Casino Gaming Enterprise Board. “So ‘The Cherokee’ is us. We are ‘The Cherokee.’ And that’s what I want people to remember about the name when they go by it. Don’t just
take it for granted that it’s a simple name, the name of a town. It’s not. It’s the name of a nation, the name of a people.” The hotel contains 725 rooms, including 70 suites, The newly opened expansion as well as a fitness center at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino and an outdoor pool on the Resort includes 83,000 square second-floor terrace between the hotel tower feet of convention space and and the convention center 725 hotel rooms. Holly Kays photo featuring sweeping mountain views. Guests desiring private pool access can reserve one of the two 800square-foot poolside suites, complete with full kitchens. The rooms, designed by the developer DreamCatcher Hotels, use a design concept rooted in earth tones with accents of burnt sienna, golden hues and charcoal grey, along with a mix tion ballroom, 26 meeting spaces and an challenge. Harrah’s hoped to hire 450-500 of eucalyptus and walnut woods. Adjacent to the hotel tower is the new exhibition hall, with a new 2,000-space park- new positions associated with the expansion, but as of the ribbon-cutting 250 jobs were three-story Cherokee Convention Center, fea- ing deck directly adjacent to it. In his remarks, Sneed made it clear that still open. The casino has seen an uptick in turing 83,000 square feet of meeting and convention space — more than tripling the cur- he sees the convention center as distinct from applications since it raised its wages and rent rentable convention space at Harrah’s the casino’s current operations — it’s an began offering sign-on bonuses this spring, Cherokee. The center includes a 32,000- entirely new business that will attract an but it’s still hard to find employees. “We’ve been very creative to adjust hours square-foot ballroom, as well as a pre-func- entirely new clientele to Cherokee, he said. Throughout his time in office, Sneed has repeatedly emphasized the inevitable arrival of competition in the gaming industry and the resulting need to diversify the tribe’s revenue streams. This project is an opportunity to do that, he said. “When we first talked about this project, there were a lot of naysayers actually, saying, well, this is just more gaming. But this is not,” he said. “This is convention busi“10 Months Helping Families in the Smokies ness — it’s an entirely differ- Joined by members of Tribal Council, Principal Chief Richard With Home Financing, and 10+ Years in the Sneed cuts the ribbon on the expansion. Holly Kays photo ent business altogether.” Mortgage Industry! I Am Here to Help With Even before it was anyYour Home Buying Goals. Contact Me Today!!” where near completion, Sneed said, the con- of operation and also utilize our part-time vention center had been booking events and help to fill in for positions,” he said. “So while we may be down we’re definitely doing all we hotel rooms for years in the future. “This just shows the demand for conven- can to cover as many shifts as we can.” Tribal Council first approved the project tion business but also for here in what I would say is one of the most beautiful places in January 2017, giving the TCGE the green light to take out a loan of up to $250 million. that God has ever created,” he said. In an interview after the ceremony, Ground broke in 2018, the same year that Robinson said there were nearly 50,000 hotel Tribal Council approved a retail project that, room bookings for the next two fiscal years while a separate endeavor from the convenAmber Patterson BRANCH MANAGER NMLS#113578 828.476.9218 associated with the new hotel, as well as anoth- tion center expansion, intersected with that Robin A. Smathers LOAN COORDINATOR 828.400.9560 er 50,000 “likely” bookings. Despite the fact project’s physical space. When the TCGE that the project was planned long before any- came back to Council last year asking for an Amber-Patterson.com | 367 Dellwood Rd | Suite A-1 | WAYNESVILLE body had heard of COVID-19, booking num- additional $80 million in funding, it said that bers are on track with initial projections, he the retail project’s arrival required a complete Allied Mortgage Group Inc. (NMLS #1067) corporate office is located at 225 E. City Avenue, Suite 102, Bala Cynwyd, Pa 19004 (610) 6682745. The content in this adver sement is for informa onal purposes only. This is not an offer for extension of credit or a commitment to lend. All redesign of the expansion project, adding $30 said. loans are subject to underwri ng guidelines and are subject to change without no ce. Allied Mortgage Group is not affiliated with any government agency. Loan programs may not be available in all states. Total finance charges may be higher over the life of the loan as a result of refinancing. million to the cost. Escalating costs for labor “We expect our occupancy level to continLicensing: Georgia Residen al Mortgage Licensee # 21510, Illinois Residen al Mortgage Licensee # MB.6760705, Kansas Licensed Mortgage Company License # MC.0025018, Massachuse s Mortgage Lender License #ML1067, Licensed Mortgage Banker by the New and materials also contributed to the overue to be very high,” he said. Hampshire Banking Department, Licensed by the New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance License #9501070, Licensed Mortgage Banker NYS Department of Financial Services, Licensed Mortgage Lender Rhode Island Licensed Lender # 20112755LL, Staffing, however, has been more of a run, the TCGE said. California Finance Lenders Law License #6038575. Full licensing is found at www.nmlsconsumer.org. Photo credit: Darrell Moore
Smoky Mountain News
October 6-12, 2021
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