Monday April 13, 2015, Gateway Casinos and Entertainment announced its Baccarat Casino would be replaced. The new casino, Grand Villa Edmonton Casino, is currently under construction and just next door to the current Baccarat location. The new facility is a $32 million undertaking that will include a casino, the Katz Group, and Oilers Entertainment Group. The facility is located at the corner of 102 Street and 104 Avenue.
Construction is set to be finished, and the new venue opened in the summer of 2016. Spokesman Scott McKeen, counsel man for the project, said it is a good thing the old building is going to be torn down. He felt it was an ugly structure and the new facility will certainly be stunning architecturally.
The land has not been completely reallocated yet, but most of the focus is on the new casino that will have a covered corridor with Rogers Place as well as connect with Winter Garden. It also has a shared roofline with the community rink.
The casino construction is going to offer 450 per year temporary employment and over 200 permanent employee positions when it is finished.