Officials from Peninsula Pacific Entertainment said that as of mid-November, construction was said to be “about a month” ahead of schedule, though they noted that status could change as construction progresses.
“Things are going quite well with Cedar Crossing,” said Stefan Huba, chief development officer for Peninsula Pacific Entertainment. “We’ve got really strong collaboration with the city and local contractors and our engineering team. We’ve run into minor challenges, but they are prepared to overcome them, because they’re prepared with the rest of the plan. A lot of it’s driven by the local trades and suppliers that we have working for us. They’ve done a great job in helping get this project moving forward.”
Kim Pang, Peninsula Pacific’s vice president of development for Peninsula Pacific, said the Cedar Crossing development has progressed smoothly, especially when compared to the company’s Hard Rock Casino in Sioux City, which was established in 2014 by renovating the historic Sioux City Battery Building.
“We had to use an existing building and vision within that building,” Mr. Pang said. “(Cedar Crossing) has allowed Stefan to develop something from the ground up. It’s like having a painting with a blank sheet. In Sioux City, we had some issues with the existing building, a lot of stumbling blocks, but at the end of the day, it’s still a phenomenal facility.”
According to Mr. Huba, at least 94% of the contractors working on Cedar Crossing are Iowa-based. “I don’t believe that there’s one person on site that I’m aware of that’s been brought in from out of state to this point,” he said.
The building is now fully enclosed and “dried in,” and a temporary heating system will allow contractors to continue work throughout the winter, Mr. Huba said.
Mr. Pang said Peninsula Pacific plans to have a job fair sometime in mid-2026, with managers being hired in the fall and hourly workers four to five weeks before opening at the end of the year.
The state’s Racing and Gaming Commission will also be visiting the site, likely sometime after the new year.
There are no remaining legal challenges.
This update is a part of the CBJ’s Newsmakers edition. This year-end wrap-up from the staff of the Corridor Business Journal is a compilation of the year’s most noteworthy articles and projects, as told through stories that appeared in the bi-weekly issues of the CBJ.
Read the accompanying story, published in February of 2025:
