NORTHFIELD: The interior of the new Hard Rock racino doesn’t look much like a gambling and music venue — at least right now amid construction.
Wires hang from the ceiling. Dirt and materials cover the concrete floor. Sparkling steel studs are everywhere, creating a huge, shiny metal skeleton upon which the state’s newest gambling attraction will be built.
Construction workers, all wearing hard hats and reflective vests, are busy preparing the 200,000-square-foot Hard Rock Rocksino Northfield Park for its December opening.
The $265 million project is on schedule, Northfield Park Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Brock Milstein said during an exclusive tour last week for the Akron Beacon Journal.
“It’s not going to be stuffy,” he said as he navigated the construction site to show off future amenities. “It’s going to be fun, laid-back.”
The facility, located next to the Northfield Park harness track along state Route 8, will be filled with about 2,300 slots-like video lottery terminals, a comedy club, premium steakhouse, 300-seat buffet room, 1,900-seat Hard Rock Live music venue and Hard Rock Cafe.
The Rocksino also will house more than $1 million worth of music memorabilia, including a Van Halen motorcycle.
The parking lot will wrap around much of the building, making it easy for people to enter the one-story racino even if they don’t use the valet option. Outside patios will feature VLTs so people can gamble while smoking.
A giant Hard Rock logo guitar will be affixed to the building’s exterior.
Hard Rock has scheduled a “Topping Out Party” for 11:30 a.m. Aug. 22, when officials will update the project and announce the branding for the steakhouse.
Amy Hollar, the local representative for the Ohio Harness Horsemen’s Association, said it has been fascinating to watch the racino rise from the ground.
“Of course we’re all really excited,” she said. “It’s something we’ve been looking forward to for years.”
The Rocksino is expected to be the third of seven racinos opening in the state.
It will be the third major gambling venue to open in Northeast Ohio, behind the Horseshoe Casino in Cleveland and ThistleDown racino in North Randall. The Hollywood Gaming at Mahoning Valley Race Course also is under construction near Youngstown and is expected to open next year.
Milstein said he’s not worried about the nearby competition for gambling dollars nor the fact that gambling revenue has fallen short of industry expectations.
“Our goal should be to try to keep those dollars that were going to Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Indiana and Michigan and New York in Ohio, and that’s what we’ll be successful as an industry in doing at the end of the day,” he said.
Rick Armon can be reached at 330-996-3569 or rarmon@thebeaconjournal.com.