Detroit's MotorCity Casino to cash in with big expansion

A $275 million expansion of the existing MotorCity Casino in Detroit is under way. The project will add 45,000 sf to the existing casino, along with a new 204,200-sf convention center that will offer 67,000 sf of convention space and a 1,200-seat theater. Also in the package: a 395,200-sf, 400-room hotel and a 933-space parking deck. MIG Detroit is the general contractor for the project, and Detroit's Giffels and NORR Ltd., Toronto, created the design. Automotive designer Chip Foose of Huntington Beach, Calif., was a design consultant. The project broke ground in November 2005 and is expected to be completed this fall.