
Project Details
Location
Murphy, North Carolina
Skills
Strategic Advisory, Project Feasibility, Casino Assessment, Impact Assessment, Contract Negotiations
Project Description
For the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians‘ resort casino in North Carolina, Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River, Convergence Strategy Group assessed the feasibility of a large-scale property expansion to strategically position the property for the future. The $275 million expansion project, which broke ground in October 2022, will build on the success of the resort casino which opened in late 2015, and underwent its first expansion in 2017.
The highly successful property located in Murphy, North Carolina currently offers approximately 1,050 slot machines, 72 table games, a 300-room hotel, bowling alley, and food and beverage venues. The expansion will nearly double the size of the hotel (additional 296 room hotel tower), increase the size and capacity of the casino floor, and add resort amenities such as a first-class spa and rooftop restaurant with panoramic views of the majestic Appalachian Mountains.
CSG provided strategic planning assistance and analytical support for the project, assessing the viability of expansion plans under various future competitive and development scenarios. Working with Bill Pascrell, III of Princeton Public Affairs Group, our team also evaluated the potential impacts from and optimization of sports betting operations prior to the March 2021 opening of the Caesars Sportsbook onsite. The expansion was designed by JCJ Architecture, led by its president Peter Stevens. Whiting-Turner is the general contractor for the project, with completion expected within 18-24 months.