MIAMI
A mammoth hotel and entertainment complex proposed by the Seminole Tribe would turn quiet Coconut Creek into a national gambling destination.
Towering 20 stories over northwest Broward, the 1,000-room hotel would be more than twice the size of the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel in Hollywood, eclipsing all but a handful of South Florida hotels and featuring an expanded casino, acres of shops and a 2,500-seat theater.
It's unclear yet whether it will be built, given the state of the economy and the legal uncertainties of the gambling business in Florida. But if this huge complex of gambling, entertainment and deluxe hospitality does become a reality, the economic and social impact would be significant, according to an environmental review just released by the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs.
Miami hotel consultant Scott Brush said a 1,000-room structure would exceed the size of almost all South Florida hotels, its only Broward peer being the 998-room Westin Diplomat Resort in Hollywood. While the construction of such a massive project may seem unrealistic, particularly for a city not known as a major tourist destination, he said the hotel's casino, entertainment complex and sheer size could make it a successful development.
Courtesy of The Sun Sentinel
