BELOIT, WI — About 350 construction workers a day are hard at work 17 miles north of Rockford to bring a new estimated $705 million Ho-Chunk Gaming Beloit casino, hotel and convention center to life.
Already the hotel set to debut in 2027 is 10 stories tall and growing on its way to becoming the tallest building in the region.
Crews are putting in an average of 50,000 hours a month in an effort to complete the first phase of the project — the casino and a 1,500-space parking garage — by the end of August.
A grand opening for Ho-Chunk Gaming Beloit, 777 Willowbrook Road, is tentatively expected to come in September, Executive Manager Steven Abangan said.
“It’s ramping up, that’s for sure,” Abangan said. “Where before we were in a steady stride, now we are starting to run as we head toward the finish. There’s a lot going on.”
The first phase is 91% complete according to Corporate Contractors Inc., Ho-Chunk Nation’s construction representative for the project. When including the second phase — a planned convention center and hotel set to open in 2027 — the project is 65% complete.
The resort is expected to employ about 1,500 people once fully operational.
Inside the casino
Located on 30 acres, the project includes a heated concrete grand entrance to prevent freezing during the winter, and a spacious 239,317-square-foot casino with an industrial woodland theme — paying homage to its Wisconsin roots — brick accents and terrazzo floors.
Several large windows allow for an abundance of natural light, a nice amenity inside a casino.
A set of escalators will take guests from a parking deck skyway to the casino’s 171,431-square-foot ground floor. Another 62,746-square-foot lower level is back-of-house work space.
What’s to eat
A fine dining steak house is under construction. There will be a 5,140-square-foot tap house that will offer 30 different beers on tap and tavern-style eats. It includes bars on two levels and an outdoor patio.
There are also plans for a coffee shop and a quick service food court that will resemble a collection of three food trucks. Tacos, smash burgers, Asian cuisine and southern chicken are under consideration as offerings. And with digital menu boards planned, it will be fairly easy to convert to a new food offering if guests aren’t into one of the options.
Let’s play
The casino will be home to 1,400 slot machines, 43 table games and a small sports book.
Table games will include casino favorites like craps, blackjack and roulette. In addition there will be “carnival games” such as Ultimate Texas Hold ‘Em, three card poker and pai gow poker.
Four to six tables of baccarat, a game popular around the world, especially in Asia, including two in the high limit room are planned.
Yes, there will be poker
Ho-Chunk in recent years has not offered live poker tables at its Wisconsin casinos after demand was hit and miss at its Wisconsin Dells location.
But Ho-Chunk Beloit is planning to offer four to six poker tables in an area of its gaming floor. It will be part of a trial run to see how much demand there is for live poker and determine if poker gets its own room.
“We are going to see how it goes,” Abangan said. “If we get demand, we will open a room up.”
Changing skyline
Already the project is altering the skyline in the area as construction of a 312-room hotel has reached the 10th floor. When complete, the hotel will include a rooftop bar on the 19th floor.
It will stand 239 feet tall, making it the tallest building in the region. Built in 1929, the tallest building in Rockford is the 15-story Faust Landmark that stands at 186 feet.
Convention Center
Also coming in a 2027 second phase in addition to the hotel is a planned 75,962-square-foot convention center.
The convention center is expected to host everything from trade shows and 2,000-seat concerts to conferences and banquets. Plans are for numerous breakout spaces and plenty of flexible options Beloit has not had access to before.
Jeff Kolkey writes about government, economic development and other issues for the Rockford Register Star. He can be reached via email at jkolkey@rrstar.com and on X @jeffkolkey.
This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Get a sneak peek of the nearly finished Ho-Chunk Gaming Beloit casino
Reporting by Jeff Kolkey, Rockford Register Star / Rockford Register Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Jeff Kolkey, Rockford Register Star | USA TODAY Network
