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fjrench J2ickContinued from Page Iin a few months.“We eould have just come in and done things cheaply to get it going,” said Welsh. “But we took the time and effort to preserve the history and what was here. We try to showcase that history, things that other people might have seen as junk. This place has such a rich history, and for many years it did not get the respect that it was due.”The renovations were not done cheaply or easily. The wall panels and columns in the French Lick Springs Hotel lobby are custom-made, as are the paintings on the ceiling, which depict the mythological origins of the seasons.The lobby area also has literally hundreds of small light bulbs, ornate designs, gold-leaf paint, and floors that are newly installed with old tile. Even some of the old switches from the hotel’s original power plant were reused in a restaurant aptly named the Power Plant.“It is fun to stand in the lobby and watch people come in,” said Welsh. “There is a ‘wow’ factor. They look up and their jaw drops. People who have never been here before are just amazed. And then, people who were here as the hotel declined and knew its potential, they come back and are amazed how much we were able to do.”The “wow” factor is sure to be upped at the West Baden Springs Hotel when it opens, with its 105-year-old, six-story-high domed atrium.Future phases include the opening of the nine-hole Tom Bendelow golf course just behind the casino, remade fromthe former 18-hole Valley Course. A new course designed by Pete Dye will open in 2008, while the historic Hill Course, designed by Donald Ross and the site of the 1924 PGA Championship, has been fully restored and is open for play.“We have a little bit for everybody,” said Welsh. “There are those people who appreciate the historical significance of the property, who want to see the renovations for themselves. But we also get people who are excited about the casino nearby, and come for a day trip over to the casino.”Blue Sky, composed of the Lauth Group and the Cook Group, owns the resort and casino. Benchmark Hospitality manages the property. There are 443 guest rooms and suites at the French Lick Springs Hotel, and an additional 250 rooms will be available at West Baden Springs when it opens this year.The 84,000 square-foot casino has 1,200 slot machines as well as 32 table games including blackjack, roulette and craps. All of the Vegas-style gaming occurs on one floor with a 26-foot ceiling.French Lick and Orange County had become one of the most impoverished areas of the state since the tourists had dwindled after the 1940s. The casino has provided hundreds of jobs, and has created a rebirth of sorts in other local businesses. About 47 percent of the resort’s employees are Orange County residents, and there hasn’t been much resistance to the idea of gambling returning to French Lick.Gambling was here 60it
Newspaper Details
Mount Carmel Daily Republican Register
Mount Carmel, Illinois, US
Thu, Jan 25, 2007
Page 24
Full Page
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USA 03 Nov 2021
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