Parker: Ritter dedicates "destination resort"

The Denver Post

BLACK HAWK - Gov. Bill Ritter broke the speed record for speeches Thursday as he congratulated staff, local dignitaries and invited guests who shivered in freezing temperatures outside the new Ameristar Casino Resort Spa Black Hawk.

The good guv came up the hill to dedicate and tour the 536-room, $235 million monolith, touted as the tallest building between here and Salt Lake City.

"A tour of the spa is sounding really good to me right now," he said, pulling his jacket tighter around his neck.

With a flourish, a giant red sash fell down the side of the hotel building, revealing the official Ameristar sign.

"This is the first destination resort in Black Hawk," said Reggie Fullwood,

Slide Show

• Browse a gallery of Ameristar resort images from the grand opening in Black Hawk.

Ameristar's senior vice president and general manager. "We had to blast down to the rock (and) endure rock slides, blizzards and a blast that closed the casino for a day to get here."

Gordy Kanofsky, chief executive and vice chairman of Ameristar Casinos Inc. (a publicly traded company), called the hotel and casino "Colorado's first head-to-head competition with Vegas. All that's missing is the airfare and TSA check lines."

Black Hawk Mayor David Spellman beamed at the imposing structure as if it were Fort Knox.

"That's a magnificent building," he said. "It's 33 stories of pure economic stimulus, Black Hawk-style. It's the hallmark and flagship of what Black Hawk has to offer."

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