An application for a Linn County casino gaming license was formally filed Aug. 2 with the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission (IRGC), officials said.
The application was filed jointly by Peninsula Pacific Entertainment, which would operate the proposed Cedar Crossing Casino in Cedar Rapids, and the nonprofit Linn County Gaming Association, which would distribute 8% of casino revenues to local nonprofit organizations.
“We appreciate this opportunity with the IRGC, which brings us a step closer to making Cedar Crossing Casino and Entertainment Center a reality,” Kim Pang, vice president of development for Peninsula Pacific Entertainment, said in a statement. “The support we have received from local residents, the City of Cedar Rapids, nonprofits and community leaders means everything to all of us who have worked hard to present the best application we can offer to Linn County.”
The application will be formally presented at the IRGC’s meeting Oct. 3 at the Isle of Capri Hotel and Casino in Bettendorf.
In a virtual meeting July 12, the IRGC approved a procedural outline for consideration of Linn County’s application, indicating they will make a decision on the application Feb. 6, 2025.
Developers and supporters first unveiled plans for a Linn County casino in Cedar Rapids, dubbed “Cedar Crossing,” in May 2022.
As proposed, Cedar Crossing, with a budget now estimated at $275 million, would incorporate Iowa’s 20th state-licensed casino, as well as bars and restaurants featuring celebrity chefs.
If approved, the casino would be built on city-owned property between F and I avenues NW and First and Fifth streets NW. Most of that property was previously occupied by the Cooper’s Mill restaurant and Best Western Hotel before those facilities were demolished due to damages sustained in the 2008 flood, and the property was subsequently acquired by the city.
The door was opened for a new Linn County gaming license application after a two-year state gaming license moratorium imposed by the Iowa Legislature expired June 30.
