BOYD TO DELAY REQUEST FOR CAPE GAMBLING LICENSE

Boyd Gaming Corp. announced Monday it will delay filing of a gambling application for a riverboat in Cape Girardeau to allow more time to develop plans.

The decision will delay the start of riverboat gambling in Cape Girardeau by about a year, Maunty Collins, senior vice president and director of operations for Boyd's central region, said here Monday.

"We want to emphasize that we are not abandoning the project at Cape Girardeau," Collins said. "We will have ample time to work with the city of Cape Girardeau, the Army Corps of Engineers, tow boat pilots and other groups involved in the project," he said.

City Manager J. Ronald Fischer said the city is disappointed in the delay. "We've had a good relationship with Boyd Corp.," Fischer said. "We will continue that relationship. Boyd is a solid company, it has a lot of money invested here, and we believe the company will come to Cape Girardeau."

Collins said: "We want to ensure the best possible position for development on the Mississippi River here."

Two possible locations for a riverboat have been discussed for Cape Girardeau: one about 500 feet north of the Broadway floodgate and one about 750 feet north of the floodgate.

"We will continue to keep offices in Cape Girardeau and work toward the goal of successful application at a later date. We're still `bullish' on Cape Girardeau," said Collins.

Boyd's application for a Kansas City gambling operation is being processed by the Missouri Gaming Commission. An announcement on that application is expected this month or next.

The commission is meeting this week and will announce which applications it will process during the next 12 to 18 months. The Boyd application for Cape Girardeau won't be in that group.

"Working with city administrators here has been ongoing and very productive," said Collins. "They have been helpful and supportive with the process of working out the development agreement, and we expect those efforts to continue."

Collins said the development agreement is not a reason for the decision to delay the application to the state.

Boyd's $116 million Kansas City operation is set to open this summer pending approval of the Gaming Commission. It will encompass 80,000 square feet of land-based facilities and a three-deck riverboat depicting vintage 1900 Kansas City. The riverboat will contain 28,000 square feet for gambling.

The boat is en route from Louisiana to Kansas City, but had to be stopped at Cairo, Ill., last week because high water prevented it from clearing the bridge at Cairo.

Boyd's proposal for Cape Girardeau is a $51.2 million project. It calls for a $26.4 million land-based facility -- parking garage, restaurant, lounge and loading facilities -- and a $24.7 million riverboat casino.