Construction Extended for $368M L’Auberge Casino Development

By Eliza Theiss, Associate Editor

L’Auberge Baton Rouge, Pinnacle Entertainment Inc.’s $368 million casino and hotel project, has been granted a one-month extension on its construction deadline by the Baton Rouge Gaming Control Board, according to The Advocate.

Initially, construction was expected to wrap up by the end of July. However, the project has lagged behind since its May 2010 groundbreaking, plagued by low water levels on the Mississippi River and flood alerts. L’Auberge is still expected to open before Labor Day.

The 74,000-square-foot L’Auberge is being developed on 575 acres near the Gardere Lane and River Road intersection in South Baton Rouge. The casino, a riverboat permanently moored on the river bank, will hold nearly 1,500 slot machines and 50 table games, as well as a 1,500-square-foot poker room, a high- limit salon and a VIP lounge capable of accommodating 94. The casino will feature hulls constructed by Bollinger Shipyard of Amelia, La.

The casino development includes a 205-key, 12-story hotel with a high-end fitness center and rooftop hotel, four dining venues and a casino bar. The resort will also feature 13,000 square feet of meeting and conference space. According to the property’s fact sheet, that includes one event center capable of seating 1,550, a 600-foot executive board room and a 1,000-square-foot multi-purpose space.

L’auberge will also feature outdoor festival grounds for 2,500. Eight hundred of the total 2,400 parking spaces will be covered spaces. L’Auberge will employ 1,250 in permanent positions, 1,067 of which have already been filled.

ABS Consulting served as safety certifications consultant. The $368 million price tag, does not include land costs and capitalized interest.

Photo courtesy of the L’Auberge Facebook profile