PETOSKEY - A few finishing touches at the Odawa Casino Resort was all that was left to do late last month in the days before the facility had its grand opening on July 25.

In only 17 months, Clark Construction, its subcontractors and the building trades built the new $145 million facility for the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, which has a 135,000 square-foot main floor with 1,500 slot machines, 30 game tables and six poker tables.

The resort includes a gourmet restaurant, a fancy buffet, a café, lounges and bars, a 1,000-seat showroom, and a 1,600-space parking area.

"It was a fast-moving project," said Sam Clark, senior project manager for Clark Construction. "But it went very well. I thought we had an excellent group of subcontractors and tradespeople on the job, and the project labor agreement worked well for us." At peak employment, about 350 Hardhats worked on the project.

The new casino is located off US-131 just south of Petoskey, and will replace the tribe's nearby Victories Casino. The new casino will employ 1,000, and will bring an additional 500 jobs to the area.

"Throughout there's a high level of finish, and there are a lot of unique architectural features," Clark said. "This is a first-class facility that will be a benefit to the area for years to come."

WORKING IN Sages Restaurant inside the Odawa Casino Resort in Petoskey are IBEW Local 498 members Gary Vajda (on the ladder) and Rob Harrison (carrying the wire).

HERE IS the entrance of the Odawa casino, which opened to the public on June 20, although the grand opening did not take place until July 25.