Christine Crump, president of Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Ottawa, stands in the middle of what will become the property's new casino floor when it opens later this year. Photo by Mia Jensen)
The old signs are still there when you drive up to the soon-to-be former Rideau Carleton Raceway and Casino off Albion Road South, but inside the building a massive transformation is in the works.
The old signs are still there when you drive up to the soon-to-be former Rideau Carleton Raceway and Casino off Albion Road South, but inside the building a massive transformation is in the works. Though the opening date of the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Ottawa is still to be determined, the work to make it a reality is well underway. Floors have been ripped out and replaced, the ceiling has been exposed and drywall has gone up in some places. And over what will become the new entrance to the casino, a long guitar-shaped light fixture with a maple leaf-shaped body has been installed. President Christine Crump is no stranger to big projects. The Hard Rock Ottawa is her seventh property over the course of her 25-year career in the Ontario gaming industry. In that time, she’s become an expert in casino openings and expansions. “Lucky number seven,” she told OBJ last week. “I think we’re going to knock it out of the park.”Crump welcomed OBJ for a behind-the-scenes look at the construction site that will soon be the Hard Rock’s new casino and entertainment venue. Since shovels broke ground in June 2023, the space has been a hive of activity. Workers have progressively closed off more and more of the still active Rideau-Carleton casino floor to do the work of demolishing and rebuilding the interior. Further inside, there is more progress, with walls already up and painting underway. Some bathrooms and dressing rooms have ceilings and tile backsplashes. The Hard Rock Live venue has retractable seats installed, but it's also being used as storage for gaming machines. Ultimately, the $350-million entertainment complex will include a six-storey, 150-room hotel as well as a 24-7 gaming floor, 10 bars, restaurants and lounges, and an 1,800-seat live performance venue.“We’re in the homestretch and we’re really excited,” said Crump. “The team is starting to ramp up. A good indicator is the job fair. For the end of April, early May, we need hundreds of folks and some time to onboard and train them and then we get ready for opening the doors.”The new entrance to Hard Rock Ottawa's casino features a massive guitar light fixture, with a maple leaf-shaped body. Photo by Mia JensenCrump joined the project in December 2023, after the work had already begun, when Hard Rock reached out to her about the opportunity. Before that, she’d spent much of her career in the Greater Toronto Area. She did stints in Barry, Ajax and Woodbine, working on major transition and modernization projects for other casinos and hotels. While the Hard Rock project is similar in scale to some of her previous ventures, unlike Toronto, Ottawa is not considered a booming hub for gaming. But that doesn’t mean it lacks potential. Crump said a project like this could be a boon for the local industry. “It’s an exciting time to join the gaming industry in Ottawa,” she said. “We’ve had some industry experts joining the brand in the last several months and that’s been exciting, to get some industry experience that wasn’t in Ottawa before.”Despite its distance from the downtown, Crump said the site has advantages that likely attracted Hard Rock to make the purchase in the first place. Its proximity to the airport, for one, makes it a convenient stop for out-of-town gamers and the raceway, which is undergoing a revamp, adds a unique flavour to the experience. She said the city’s south end is also growing rapidly. With Line 2 of the city’s light-rail transit now running, there is a station two kilometres from the property. And, she said, there are plans to eventually connect the property directly to the LRT. “What we’re crafting here will attract folks from all over the province and outside of our borders, which is super exciting,” she said. “There are folks who are very loyal to the Hard Rock brand. That is going to boost tourism in the city. But there are gamers across the province who are willing to travel for a great guest experience. I expect lots of folks from the GTA to pay visits on the weekend. With our proximity to the airport, they’re at the property within minutes.”The Hard Rock Live venue, which will accommodate 1,800 guests, is similar in size to Live Nation’s History Ottawa venue, which is set to open on Rideau Street next year. Both venues fill what many have called a “missing middle” for the entertainment industry, with the space to accommodate artists who are too big for clubs but not big enough for arenas. In addition to drawing those artists, and the tourism that comes along with them, Crump said there’s been interest from the business community to use the venue as an events space. “We expect to drive a lot of conference business through (Hard Rock) Live and host galas and community events,” she said. Despite the potential advantages to tourism and the economy, gambling isn’t always a popular concept, statistics show. A 2022 report found that men, people from lower-income households, and those with poor mental health are more likely to develop a gambling problem that could lead to financial issues or high levels of stress and anxiety. As a result, Crump said safeguards have to be built in. “We’re the second-highest regulated industry, next to nuclear,” she said. “Hard Rock is an entertainment brand. We just happen to have gaming and that’s the position from the CEO down. We’ll have a hotel and restaurants and bars. So it’s a choose-your-own adventure.”There are still plenty of pieces to slot into place before doors can open, but that’s part of what makes the project so exciting for Crump. Other than the famous brand, it was the challenge that attracted her to Ottawa. “Projects like this are a significant amount of work but they’re incredibly rewarding,” she said. “For me, I think I’m super fortunate to have been part of all of these projects. But for most of our folks here, at this property, this will be the only time that they’re part of an opening team and it’s something they’ll talk about their entire careers. The excitement they build and the camaraderie that’s developed, you can’t replace that with anything else.”
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