Wind Creek Montgomery $65M Expansion Opens December 1

MONTGOMERY, Ala., Dec. 1, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Wind Creek Montgomery, a dramatically revamped expansion of the former Creek Casino Montgomery, opened today with a ceremony featuring dignitaries, traditional southern fare from the new BB King's Southern Blues Club and live blues music.

"I cannot adequately express how proud I feel today, when big plans and big dreams have finally come to fruition," remarked Stephanie Bryan, Tribal Chair/CEO of the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, which owns Wind Creek Montgomery, Wind Creek Wetumpka and Wind Creek Atmore.

She continued, "The brick and mortar before us is certainly a milestone for the Poarch Creek Indians, but it also represents a team of people – both Tribal and non-Tribal – who worked together hand-in-hand to reach a common goal."

Wind Creek Montgomery (WCM), like its sister properties, boasts a unique look. It features vintage touches throughout including turn-of-the-century street lamps, rough-hewn wooden beams reclaimed from barns, exposed antique brick walls and a state-of-the-art overhead lighting system that includes 25,000 color-changing bulbs. Its upstairs speak-easy steakhouse, Itta Bena, even includes a secret backdoor entrance to ensure authenticity.

WCM walls are embellished with giant hand-painted murals that depict BB King and the music of Beale Street.  BB King's Blues Club includes many of the features from the original BB King Blues Club on Memphis' Beale Street and will offer live music every night beginning at 5:00pm.

"Wind Creek Casino and Hotel Montgomery is another win for our Tribe and our State," said Tim Martin, President and CEO of Creek Indian Enterprises Development Authority, that oversaw development of the property.  "It brings to the Montgomery market family-friendly entertainment that features the best of the South and celebrates our past while embracing the future," Martin noted.

The property represents a $65 million investment and includes a new 65,000-foot gaming floor, 3 restaurants with 10,000 feet of dining space, a deluxe swimming pool, a salon and barbershop, and a soon-to-be opened hotel with 123 luxury rooms on 5 floors. 

During construction, more than 1,000 workers were on site and the now-opening property has created 250 new jobs with an expected annual payroll of $22 million.

"We are extremely fortunate to have dedicated employees who represent the Wind Creek brand of excellence and service," said Jay Dorris, President and CEO of PCI Gaming Authority which oversees Wind Creek Hospitality (the Tribe's gaming enterprise).  "Wind Creek continues to build economic security for our employees and their families and we are proud to be an economic engine in the State."

WCM's hotel is slated to open later this month.  Its sister properties in Atmore and Wetumpka have both earned the coveted AAA Diamond rating and expectations are high that this property will follow suit.

Jake Carlton, WCM's General Manager said, "When people walk in the doors here, the first thing they do is smile.  Our customers will be treated to a truly unique experience here…from the look, to the service to the music. We aim to be the best."

About Wind Creek Hospitality

Wind Creek Hospitality is an authority of the Poarch Band of Creek Indians.  WCH manages the Tribes gaming facilities including: Wind Creek Casino & Hotel Atmore, Wind Creek Casino & Hotel Wetumpka and Wind Creek Montgomery as well as racetracks in Alabama and Florida.          

The Poarch Creek Indians are descendants of a segment of the original Creek Nation, which once covered almost all of Alabama and Georgia. Unlike many eastern Indian tribes, the Poarch Creeks were not removed from their tribal lands and have lived together for almost 200 years in and around the reservation in Poarch, Alabama. The reservation is located eight miles northwest of Atmore, Alabama, in rural Escambia County, and 57 miles east of Mobile.       

The Poarch Band of Creek Indians is the only federally recognized Indian Tribe in the state of Alabama, operating as a sovereign nation with its own system of government and bylaws.  The Tribe operates a variety of economic enterprises, which employ hundreds of area residents.

SOURCE Wind Creek Hospitality