The first phase of the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino at Kansas Speedway might not open until late next year, track owner International Speedway Corp. announced.
The original plan was to build the hotel’s convention center first and operate a temporary casino inside that structure while the casino, hotel and event space was built around it. Now the developer plans to build the permanent casino first and open it by June 2009, according to a report in The Kansas City Star.
The permanent casino would be part of a 1.5 million-square-foot complex that eventually would include 3,000 slots, 140 table games, a 300-room hotel and 275,000 square feet of dining, retail and entertainment venues, including a live music venue and the convention center.
The report did not detail while the development plans were changed. International Speedway officials said that financing in the tight credit market was not an issue.
The entire development is expected to open in 2011.
