By Kellie Hwang the Arizona Republic<\/p>\n
Take a drive down Komatke Lane in Laveen and you first will see the Vee Quiva Casino, a modest place with the basics: slot machines, some gaming tables, a bingo hall, cafe and deli.<\/p>\n
A little farther south is the new Vee Quiva Hotel & Casino, a massive, Vegas-inspired complex that adds a whopping dose of flash to a community where some neighborhoods are still dotted with farmland.<\/p>\n
The new complex will help Vee Quiva compete with other Arizona casinos, which aim to cater to gamblers’ changing tastes, casino officials say.<\/p>\n
The $135 million casino, which opens Tuesday, features more gaming options and will offer a robust menu of entertainment, making gambling a second choice for some visitors.<\/p>\n
There’s a sleek, one-of-a-kind steakhouse, a 90-room boutique hotel with suites equipped with 60-inch flat-screen televisions and a large, convertible entertainment venue with an all-star lineup already in the works.<\/p>\n
When the new Vee Quiva opens, the old one will be demolished, and the land will revert to the Gila River Community.<\/p>\n
The old Vee Quiva, which opened in 1994, underwent an $8 million expansion of 11,000 square feet in 2006, adding a bingo hall, bar and restaurant.<\/p>\n
But another refresh and expansion just wasn’t enough, said John James, CEO for Gila River Casinos.<\/p>\n
“The old Vee Quiva had no entertainment options whatsoever,” James said.<\/p>\n
Visitors who come to the casino will see a beautiful space, live bands, nationally known music artists and comedy acts, he added.<\/p>\n
“This is going to be an electrifying experience for anyone who is coming to this property,” James said.<\/p>\n
A major upgrade was necessary to stay competitive, said Melody Hudson, public-relations manager for Gila River Casinos.<\/p>\n
“There wasn’t really room to expand at the old casino,” she said. “Gaming in Arizona had begun to evolve, and guests requested the need to have additional amenities. … We knew we had to add all-encompassing entertainment to stay current with the trends in gaming.”<\/p>\n
The new casino brings a host of entertainment options to Laveen, which has been inhabited by farmers and dairymen since the 1870s.<\/p>\n
While housing and commercial developments are slowly urbanizing the area, many parts still remain untouched agricultural plots, with South Mountain off to the southeast, offering a sprawling, rural feel.<\/p>\n
The new property blends tranquil, natural touches inspired by the Gila River community with vibrant, geometrical decor and bright hues.<\/p>\n
Huge LED light panels hang from the ceiling and change not only colors but also themes. Each area in the complex, including the 70,000-square-foot casino, is meant to feel open and airy, so patrons can see across the rooms and feel all of the action.<\/p>\n
The main gambng floor has 950 slot machines, 36 table games, a poker room and large bingo hall. Paintings by Gila River Community artists hang from the walls, and the bingo hall will have ever-changing photos of state parks from around the country.<\/p>\n
The poker room has 16 custom tables with pull-out drink holders. The finals table in the back is surrounded by a fence so patrons can watch tournaments. In the middle of the gaming floor is the Square Bar, set up on a platform that literally places patrons at the center of the action.<\/p>\n
Vee Quiva offers a unique, sports-themed dining destination: Ditka’s Restaurant. The restaurant is owned by legendary former football coach and player Mike Ditka and currently has only two locations, one in Illinois and one in Pittsburgh.<\/p>\n
“Ditka’s is very excited to be a part of the new Vee Quiva Hotel & Casino,” Ditka said in an e-mail. Vee Quiva “offers a unique high-energy setting,” he added.<\/p>\n
The restaurant is spacious and stylish, with black-and-white sports photos and a private dining space for as many as 24 people. The private room has a long dining table and Molteni stovetop and oven where guests can watch chefs prepare food from personalized menus.<\/p>\n
Other restaurants include Coffee Shop 24\/7, Panda Express, Dunkin’ Donuts, Fatburger and the Phoenix-based Los Reyes de la Torta.<\/p>\n
The 6,000-square-foot Vee Quiva Event Center is a destination for nationally touring entertainers and well-known Valley acts. The old Vee Quiva didn’t have a concert or entertainment venue.<\/p>\n
“The event center is a multipurpose room, with concerts that can seat 500 people,” said Jason Robinson, entertainment manager for Gila River Casinos. “We plan to host everything from stand-up comedy performances to tribute acts to big headlining acts.”<\/p>\n
The lineup already includes 1970s psychedelic rock group Jefferson Starship, popular comedian Carlos Mencia and rocker Vince Neil.<\/p>\n
The wall behind the stage can be opened to face a lawn area for future al fresco concerts. Hudson said this is the only Arizona casino with such a feature.<\/p>\n
“We are excited to have this big lawn performance area for outdoor happenings that will create a festival setting in the cooler months,” Robinson said.<\/p>\n
VQ Live is a laid-back lounge with a long stone bar. It faces out to the main entrance to overlook a large water feature known as the Wonder Wall. Water flows out of the curved quartzite structure’s cut-outs, and the feature bears the casino’s name. Local acts will perform regularly on the lounge’s small stage, providing entertainment during happy hour and weekend nights.<\/p>\n
“The beauty of live music, as opposed to a DJ, is we can actually serve many different demographics,” Robinson said. “We might have a country band and then throw in a classic-rock group. We hope a lot of these bands bring in their fans to discover Vee Quiva.”<\/p>\n
*TynanGroup, in conjunction with Parsons, was the Project Manager on the Vee Quiva Hotel and Casino.<\/p>\n
*This new Hotel and Casino is the seventh major project that TynanGroup has managed for the Gila River Indian Community during our 14 year relationship.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
By Kellie Hwang the Arizona Republic Take a drive down Komatke Lane in Laveen and you first will see the Vee Quiva Casino, a modest place with the basics: slot machines, some gaming tables, a bingo hall, cafe and deli. A little farther south is the new Vee Quiva Hotel & Casino, a massive, Vegas-inspired […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":7712,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_mo_disable_npp":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[161],"tags":[46,71,152,185],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n