Isle to hire Cape casino GM by year's end, executive says

A general manager for Isle of Capri's new $125 million Cape Girardeau casino is expected to be named by year's end -- and he or she most likely will be someone from within the company, chief operating officer Arnold Block said Thursday.

The general manager's first order of business early next year would be to hire an executive team to oversee human resources, marketing, facilities, gaming and nongaming operations, Block said following the ceremonial opening of the realigned Main Street.

"We really feel like we want to get the team in place a little sooner before the start," Block said.

That, Block said, is especially important for the general manager, who will be expected to become familiar with the city's political and business leaders and the community overall. Following the hiring of the executive team -- generally made up of five to seven people -- the company can begin to hire the 450 employees who will staff the casino when it opens late next year, Block said.

The general manager, who will oversee the day-to-day operations of the casino, will "more than likely" come from within the company, Block said, adding that he already has someone in mind.

From left, City Council members Meg Davis Proffer and John Voss, Mayor Harry Rediger, Isle of Capri vice president of design and construction Dick Meister, Isle of Capri chief operating officer Arnold Block, and City Council members Loretta Schneider and Debra Tracy line up during a ribbon cutting ceremony marking the opening of the new Main Street in Cape Girardeau near the Isle of Capri Casino site on Thursday, Oct. 20, 2011. For more images visit semissourian.com. (Kristin Eberts)

"It's going to be a big reward and a big job," Block said. "They'll be involved in bringing the project to life. It's an exciting reward for this person and well-earned for them."

The company is looking for temporary office space for the general manager and the executive team to operate out of until the casino opens its doors, Block said. Isle is looking at a couple of locations, he said, but they have yet to decide.

While the general manager is likely to come from within the company, Block said that's "not necessarily" true of the executive team. Isle will probably post the job openings internally first to gauge interest from existing personnel and then open those jobs for others, he said.

As Block spoke, construction work continued on the project, which has been designed to include 1,000 slot machines, 28 table games, several restaurants and a 750-seat multipurpose entertainment/conference room.

Mayor Harry Rediger, who also was in attendance, said he understood why Isle was going to name a general manager with more than a year left until the casino opens.

"They have to proceed," Rediger said. "They're going to have to start hiring the workers. There's training to do and other things they have to do to make sure everyone's in compliance."

For example, Block said, line workers have to go to dealer school, which Isle puts on itself. That will also be done locally, he said. As for a specific hiring time period, Block said that depends on when the construction looks to be nearing completion.

"The construction team is right on target so far," Block said.

A handful of people turned out for the event Thursday morning, including several members of the Cape Girardeau City Council, city officials and other members of the business and economic development community.

The newly realigned Main Street, in conjunction with the recent reopening of the Sloan Creek bridge, means motorists can now drive a straight shot from Main Street to near Roberts Street on Big Bend Road. For months, detours and barricades littered that part of town as Isle relocated Main Street and the city widened Big Bend Road.

"It was a tremendous inconvenience for them," Rediger said of the residents. "But I've heard so few complaints from the residents because they knew what was coming."

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