Bettendorf officials praise riverboat gambling pioneer
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By David Heitz | Wednesday, September 03, 2008 |
The Bettendorf City Council on Tuesday lauded Isle of Capri chairman Bernard “Bernie” Goldstein, also known as the father of modern riverboat gambling.
The kudos, which came in the form of a commendation at Tuesday’s City Council meeting, comes on the coattails of Goldstein’s announced induction into the Gaming Hall of Fame, which is maintained by the American Gaming Association.
Goldstein, former chief executive officer of Isle of Capri, did not attend the council meeting.
“We wish him all the best,” said Mayor Mike Freemire, who read a proclamation with a long list of Goldstein’s accomplishments. The council offered a hearty “here, here.”
In Bettendorf, much has sprung from an area once home to a single riverboat called the Diamond Lady. Two hotel towers with more than 500 rooms combined now anchor the Isle complex, and a $20 million events center owned by the city is rising nearby. Eventually, plans call for the possible construction of a larger, land-based casino to replace a docked riverboat gaming operation.
Induction into the Gaming Hall of Fame is the highest honor accorded by the gaming-entertainment industry. More than 60 people have been inducted into the Gaming Hall of Fame since its inception in 1989.
“Riverboat casinos changed the face of the industry by making gaming entertainment available throughout the Midwest and the South, and Bernie Goldstein is the man who has set the gold standard for this segment of the gaming industry,” said Frank Fahrenkopf, president and CEO of the American Gaming Association, in a news release.
Goldstein joins legendary boxing promoter Don King, celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse and other inductees in the 2008 hall of fame class.
In accepting the proclamation on behalf of Goldstein, Isle of Capri Vice President Nancy Donovan said, “He truly has been a legend in our industry. He will be very grateful when he gets this award.”
Following a 40-year career in scrap metal recycling, river freight transportation and affiliated businesses as lead of the Alter Companies, Goldstein leaped out of retirement to launch a second career in operating riverboat casinos. He christened the nation’s first riverboat casino, the Diamond Lady, in Bettendorf on April 1, 1991.
Also Tuesday, the council:
n Approved a site development plan for Teske Pet & Garden Center, 2395 Spruce Hills Drive. Teske’s plans to build a 1,600-square-foot addition on the south side of its building. The addition will be used mainly for storage with some additional space for retail sales.
n Approved the preliminary and final plats for the Shoppes at Duck Creek, a new retail development taking place on the former Joevan/Shopko property at the southeast corner of Middle and Kimberly roads.
Burlington Coat Factory will be the anchor retailer at the new shopping center. The 80,000-square-foot Bettendorf store will occupy the former Shopko building, which will be refurbished.
The other buildings at the 12.5-acre site have been razed and will be replaced by four structures containing up to 12 stores, all of which will face a roundabout. Burlington Coat Factory and the first of the four smaller buildings, at 8,000 square feet, should be open by March.
David Heitz can be contacted at
(563) 383-2202 or dheitz@qctimes.com.
Comment on this story at qctimes.com.
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