Cedar Rapids Casino Project is One Step Closer to Reality

Get ready, Cedar Rapids. An official application has been filed for a Linn County casino gaming license.

The application was officially filed on August 2nd to the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission, according to the Corridor Business Journal. The application was filed jointly by Penninsula Pacific Entertainment, which would run and operate the proposed Cedar Crossing Casino in Cedar Rapids, and the nonprofit Linn County Gaming Association. The CBJ reports that the group would help distribute 8% of casino revenue to local nonprofit groups.

So what happens next? The CBJ reports that the application will be formally presented to the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission at its meeting on October 3rd at the Isle Hotel and Casino in Bettendorf. A decision on the application is slated to happen on February 6, 2025.

The proposed Cedar Crossing casino now has an estimated budget of $275 million. It would feature Iowa's 20th licensed casino as well as bars and restaurants featuring celebrity chefs, according to the CBJ. If approved, the casino would be built on city-owned property between F and I Avenues NW and First and Fifth Streets NW. The land was previously occupied by Cooper's Mill restaurant and a Best Western Hotel before the buildings were demolished due to damage suffered in the 2008 flood.

The entire project became a possibility when the state of Iowa's moratorium on casino gambling licenses expired on June 30th. The CBJ reports that developers and supporters first unveiled plans for Cedar Crossing in May of 2022.

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