A spokesperson for the company building the new casino in Cedar Rapids says construction is on schedule.
Peninsula Pacific Entertainment vice president Kim Pang says they’ve finished the main structure of the $275 million Cedar Crossing Casino, and are now working on the inside. “You’ve got the body. Now, you’re going in with detail, right? It’s the small things that are going to matter,” he says. “The little things from an interior design perspective, the install, to make sure we got it right.”
The casino was approved in February by the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission. A competing casino tried to block the project but the lawsuit was thrown out. Pang says the casino will provide an economic boost to the whole Linn County area.
“I think it’s a domino effect, right. When you think about construction, you think about tourism. You know, we’re going to bring 1.1, 1.2 million people to the area,” Pang says. The casino is on track to open by New Year’s Eve of 2026. The facility will also have restaurants, an event space, and a STEM lab.
(By James Kelley, Iowa Public Radio)