Construction in full swing on massive Live! Casino project in Bossier
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Construction on the $270 million Live! Casino & Hotel renovation in Bossier City has started after The Cordish Companies chose AnderCorp as the project's general contractor.
AnderCorp, which is headquartered in Gulfport, Miss., has already provided preconstruction services, design review and managed early-stage demolition of the old Diamond Jacks Casino property to set the stage for the project, which will be the first land-based casino in the Shreveport-Bossier market.
Leaders for both companies now say construction is in "full swing." Cordish plans to open the casino in 2025.
“The vision and design for Live! Casino & Hotel Louisiana is spectacular, and we are excited to be a team member with Cordish and its designers in transforming the site into an exciting destination resort in Bossier City,” said Roy Anderson III, AnderCorp's chairman and chief executive, in a statement.
Cordish executives and local and state officials hosted an on-site groundbreaking ceremony last month, where Jon Cordish told USA Today Network the project will be transformative.
"It's going to have a quality and energy that when you walk into this property you'll feel like you're in a premier casino and resort in the top gaming markets, including Las Vegas," Cordish said. "I guarantee you this is going to be game-changing and set a new standard in the market."
Rob Norton, president of Cordish Gaming Group, doubled down on that assessment in a statement this week.
"Live! Casino & Hotel Louisiana will be a transformative development, bringing first class gaming and entertainment to millions of visitors, creating significant new jobs and generating millions of dollars in economic benefit for the community,” Norton said.
The former Diamond Jacks Casino has been shuttered since 2020.
It was abandoned by previous owners after they twice tried twice to move the casino to St. Tammany and Tangipahoa parishes, but voters there turned them away.
Last year the Louisiana Gaming Board approved the sale of the Diamond Jacks license, one of only 15 in the state, to Cordish, whose owners pledged to revive the casino at its current location in Bossier City.
Bossier City Mayor Thomas Chandler called the project "the largest venture that has happened in our area in a long time."
Among the highlights of the Live! project: Sports & Social sports bar and restaurant curated by James Beard Award nominee Chef John Suley; PBR Cowboy Bar; Luk Fu, a restaurant featuring the traditional flavors of Southeast Asia; and a fine dining steakhouse yet to be branded.
It will also create 750 construction jobs and 750 permanent jobs.
"It will bring economic opportunities for all involved," Norton said.
Cordish, a century-old family-owned company headquartered in Baltimore, has extensive international operations in gaming, entertainment, residential and hospitality. It operates casinos in Maryland, Philadelphia, Pittsburg, Tampa and Hollywood, Fla.
Cordish's signature "Live!" entertainment districts are located in major markets like Arlington, where its Texas Live! district is nestled between the Texas Rangers’ Globe Life Park and the Dallas Cowboys’ AT&T Stadium and anchored by a Loews hotel.
The company said it has more than $1 billion under construction adjacent to its Texas Live! development alone.
