A milestone for the casino resort project
Caesars Virginia celebrated a major milestone on Thursday, as it completed the construction of the 12th and final floor of its hotel, which will be part of the permanent casino resort that is opening in Danville late this year. The hotel, which will have 320 rooms, including 28 suites, a spa, and a pool, has changed the skyline of Danville, according to Chris Albrecht, Caesars Virginia general manager. “This is real, this is actually really happening, and it’s hard to miss,” Albrecht said at the topping-off ceremony, where a crane lifted a tree and an American flag to the top of the building.
The topping-off ceremony is a tradition that dates back to a Scandinavian religious rite, Albrecht explained. “It’s to show that the tree itself is more important than what we’re building here,” he said. “We may have disrupted the ground here to get to that point … but that tree would be the tallest point.” The tree and the flag symbolize the respect for the earth and the country, as well as the gratitude for the construction team that has worked safely and efficiently.
More than just a casino
The hotel is just one feature of the full resort that Caesars is building in Danville, which will also include meeting and convention space, restaurants and bars, and an entertainment venue. “This is going to be a resort destination,” Albrecht said. “When you chose Caesars, you said we want more than a casino. This hotel shows that we’re going to be bringing amazing customers to stay in these rooms.”
Albrecht said that the temporary casino, which opened in September 2023, sees about 100,000 visitors per month. He expects that number to grow substantially when the resort is complete. The resort will also create new jobs in Danville. Caesars Virginia has about 440 employees right now, but that number will at least double to staff the full resort. Caesars has partnered with Averett University to create a hospitality program, which will provide a pipeline of home-grown talent into the industry. And Caesars already has 12 employees that are part of that program, Albrecht said.
A time capsule for the future
As part of the topping-off ceremony, the Caesars team also created a time capsule that will be buried into the concrete. The time capsule contains items that represent the history and culture of Danville, such as a tobacco basket, a Danville Braves cap, a Danville River District Festival poster, and a copy of the Danville Register & Bee. The time capsule also contains items that represent the Caesars brand, such as a Caesars Rewards card, a Caesars Virginia T-shirt, a Caesars Virginia coin, and a Caesars Virginia mask.
The time capsule is meant to be opened in 50 years, in 2074, when the resort will celebrate its golden anniversary. Albrecht said that he hopes that the time capsule will remind the future generations of the vision and the values that Caesars has brought to Danville.
