FEBRUARY 15, 2017
S moke S ignals
17
Spirit Mountain Casino wraps up remodel
By Brent Merrill
Smoke Signals staff writer
Spirit Mountain Casino has a
new look after an 82,000-square-
foot, $13 million remodel project
that was just completed in time to
make a public statement.
Spirit Mountain’s recently com-
pleted remodel project was timed
to be finished before the opening of
the new Cowlitz Indian Tribe’s ilani
Casino and Resort 15 miles north
of the Portland metropolitan area
in Ridgefield, Wash.
Spirit Mountain Casino General
Manager Stan Dillon said the prop-
erty’s new theme is “Tried, True
and Totally New” for the remodel
launch that was approved by Trib-
al Council in November 2015 and
started in May 2016.
“We are complete,” said Dillon
while touring the remodeled casi-
no floor. “We’re doing final walk-
throughs to look at the fine details.”
Dillon said the project was “very
Photos by Michelle Alaimo
aggressive” in that the casino
Spirit
Mountain
Casino’s
remodel
includes
new
carpet,
lighting
displays
and
ceiling
fixtures
giving
the casino an
remained open throughout the
entirely new look and feel.
remodel construction and was com-
pleted ahead of schedule.
He had the statue raised off the
“It was a real challenge and
ground and the walls to the buf-
scary because something like
fet opened up to make more of a
that can really affect your
showcase for the statue than it had
revenue and that was one of
in front of the Legends restaurant
my biggest fears going into
entrance.
the remodel of the casino,”
“My goal was to put Martha up in
Leno said the positives from the
said Dillon. “We formulated
a place where she could be up in the
new entrance area are going to add
a plan to help minimize that
air because it is a beautiful statue,”
up quickly.
and part of that plan was to
said Dillon. “We have that spot to
“We put 200 more machines out
take the existing poker room
try to elevate her and make her
on the floor by adding that back en-
and move it.”
more prominent. I’ve gotten a lot
tryway,” said Leno, who also sits on
Dillon moved the poker
of compliments and people are glad
As part of Spirit Mountain Casino’s
the Spirit Mountain Gaming Board
room to The Peak and used
she has her own area like that.”
of Directors that runs the casino.
the former poker room as a
remodel, the Poker Room is now located in
Dillon said he had a picture of
“I
think
putting
that
entrance
out
staging area to move banks
The Peak gaming area.
Sands
with her prized baskets
there
by
the
highway
was
a
big
im-
of slot machines like chess
blown
up
to make a 3-by-5-foot
provement – probably one of the most
pieces. He said using that space
tion and have the vast remodel of
canvas print that now hangs in the
cost-effective moves we did down
to stage each individual section in
Spirit Mountain completed before
entrance to the buffet waiting area.
there. I think that was really one of
while those areas were shut down
the Cowlitz Tribe opens its casino.
Dillon said he will bring in other
the best improvements we made.”
and remodeled turned out to be key
“I wanted the guests to come to
historic pictures of Sands to hang
As he walked through the remod-
in getting the project completed
Spirit Mountain and see what we
in the area and that the long bench
eled property, Dillon pointed out a
ahead of schedule.
look like today so that if they go up
seat will be removed and replaced
new
ceiling
lighting
system
that
Dillon said that logistical strate-
to the Cowlitz property to see it, it
with large, comfortable chairs for
allows him to control the colors
gy shaved weeks off the final com-
may look nice and it might look dif-
people to sit in while they wait to
and movement of the ceiling from
pletion date and that contractors
ferent, but it isn’t going to be that
be seated.
an iPad in his desk. He said he can
improved as they went along.
much nicer than we are. That was
“Now my goal is to improve the
change the patterns and colors to
“We just kept staging all through
my goal,” Dillon said.
lighting and put a fountain in there
fit any theme the casino is hosting.
the casino with the goal of it being
Dillon said he is particularly
(next to the statue),” said Dillon.
For instance, he can turn the ceiling
a one-year process because of the
proud of the newly designed area
“She is becoming the focal point of
green, for example, on St. Patrick’s
sheer size of the project,” said Dil-
known as The Peak. He said it is
this whole area.”
Day if he desires.
lon. “As we started going we started
now the largest non-smoking ca-
Now that the casino remodel
The property boasts a brand new
getting our production down and
sino room in Oregon and that the
is complete other than a few fine
lighting scheme as well. The light-
the sections we remodeled got big-
room now has its own bar with an
details, Dillon said he will turn his
ing is brighter than it has been in
ger and that helped speed us up.
exclusive menu, a cashier cage, a
attention to Spirit Mountain Lodge.
the
past
20
years
and
guests
have
We took a one-year project and sped
marketing stage, the poker room,
The casino’s board of directors has
noticed.
it up to seven and a half months,
the keno desk, and a variety of slot
asked him to go forward with re-
“I want the casino to have the
which is unbelievable to me.”
and table games.
modeling 100 rooms.
ability to change. I want that flexi-
Tribal Council Chairman Reyn
“This is now one of my favorite
“We have 250 rooms and we have
bility,” said Dillon. “We can change
Leno said people have been telling
rooms,” said Dillon.
only remodeled 140,” said Dillon.
the color of that ceiling to any color
him that they like the new design.
Dillon said adding the new north
“What we need to do today, espe-
in the spectrum in a second. We can
“I think the remodel really gives
entrance and opening up that
cially with new competition in our
create
motion.
It
really
is
open
to
you even more of a Las Vegas-style
area to as many as 200 more slot
market – they are going to build a
the
imagination.”
gaming facility,” said Leno. “It is
machines has not only raised rev-
hotel and we know that. It’s going
Leno said guests have noticed the
very updated and very clean. It is
enue from the floor but provided a
to be the same size and it’s going
difference in the lighting.
a nice place to go out. We want to
much-needed clearing of the smoke
to be a strong competitor so in
“The older people I think really
keep the place where people want to
that used to gather in that end of
order to maintain our guests and
enjoy it more lit up,” said Leno. “It
come and have a good experience.”
the building. He said adding the
our VIP guests, we need to refresh
really has brightened up the place
Dillon selected I-5 Design and
new entrance also changed the
the product and we need to look
and
it
looks
nice.”
Manufacture Inc. of Lacey, Wash.,
parking structure of the parking lot
at that.”
Without officially changing the
to do the remodel project. I-5 Design
and that a once hardly used area
Dillon said it will be his goal to
name, Dillon has essentially creat-
has been in business since 1985 and
is now a busy area of the property.
bring the lodge up to the standards
ed the Martha Jane Sands’ Cedar
the company started as I-5 Signs
“We were able to increase the air
of the rest of the property now that
Plank Buffet by moving one of the
and grew into a multi-million dollar
flow and we increased the traffic
the casino remodel is complete.
Tribe’s most visible pieces of art.
company that specializes in design-
flow through the building,” said Dil-
“That would maintain us as a pre-
Dillon
said
he
moved
the
iconic
ing and remodeling retail spaces.
lon. “It’s not as smoky as it was and
mier
destination and competitor,”
Tribal
statue
of
Sands
to
the
en-
Dillon said he wanted to get out
players are more dispersed now and
said
Dillon.
trance of the Cedar Plank Buffet.
ahead of the impending competi-
that really improved the air flow.”