RIVERBOAT PROVIDES BOOST FOR BOOTHEEL

CARUTHERSVILLE -- Mayor Rick Davis believes his town gambled and won when it and Casino Aztar introduced riverboat gambling to the Missouri Bootheel.

"In March of 1994, Pemiscot County had an unemployment rate of 15.6 percent," said Davis. During the same month, Brown Shoe announced that it was closing its plant here, eliminating 450 jobs.

"It's devastating when a community of 7,200 residents loses that many jobs. Aztar picked us up," said Davis.

Less than two years later, Casino Aztar has established itself along the Mississippi River in downtown Caruthersville with a $50 million casino complex that includes a cruising riverboat and land-based pavilion with restaurant, snack bar, sports bar and gift shop.

"Aztar provides employment to more than 600 people," said Davis. "And today, the county's unemployment rate had dropped to 6.1 percent."

Davis was guest speaker during a special media day event held at Aztar's facility this week. At the same time, Aztar officials divulged plans for a second gambling facility on a permanently moored facility that could attract another 400,000 visitors a year.

"Aztar was different from many industrial prospects when they visited us," said Davis. "They asked what they could do for us, not what we could do for them."

What Aztar has done to date is pay more than $2 million for street work and new lighting leading to the Aztar facility.

"In addition we receive $1 million a year from Aztar, besides a portion of the admissions and other fees from the company's operations," said Davis. "This year we're looking at about $2 million to $2.5 million."

Davis said the funds, which represent about 40 percent of the city's annual budget, will be used to beef up city services -- security, police, fire department -- street improvements and wastewater needs.

"We were in a deficit situation when Aztar came to us," said Davis. "We want to replenish our funds."

The city has also purchased the old Brown shoe factory building and already has an industrial tenant for it. Cupple's Manufacturing of St. Louis will move into the building with a 15-year-lease.

The new Casino Aztar facility at Caruthersville will provide another 325 gambling positions on the barge that serves as a docking facility for the "City of Caruthersville," a three-deck riverboat that provides about 500 gambling positions.

"The riverboat will continue to cruise the Mississippi River when weather permits," said Red Wooten, vice president and general manager of the Caruthersville Aztar operation. "The new facility will remain permanent."

Wooten said the facility had attracted about 450,000 people during its 10 months of operation. That figure is expected to top the 600,000 mark by the end of the company's first year here.

During that period the company's slot machines have paid out more than $119 million, with an average 91 percent payback.

"We feel the new facility will bring in another 400,000 a year," said Wooten. "We hope to have it up and running in July."

The new facility will also add another 100 jobs

Aztar employees at Caruthersville average about $17,000 a year, including tips, said Wooten.

The new project calls for 325 new gambling positions, including blackjack, craps, roulette, video poker and slot machines of 25 cents, $1 and $5. Capacity of the new facility will be about 450.

"With the new facility, we can stagger the entry times," said Roger Swain, director of Aztar Casino operations. "This will improve the waiting time for patrons," said Swain. Currently, if a person "misses" the boat he has to wait an hour and 15 minutes for the next boarding time. With two casinos, the longest anyone will have to wait is 15 minutes.

Also present at the press day event were Michael Facenda, director of marketing, and Yvonne Hughey, marketing coordinator.

Aztar, which recently opened a facility in downtown Evansville, Ind., the first in the Hoosier state, is a publicly traded company that operates TropWorld Casino and Entertainment Resort in Atlanta City, N.J.; Tropicana Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nev.; and, Ramada Express hotel and Casino in Laughlin, Nev.