American casino operator Monarch Casino And Resort Incorporated has completed construction of a new 1,350-space parking garage for its Monarch Casino Black Hawk property in Colorado and received a temporary certificate of occupancy for the nine-story structure.

Monarch Casino And Resort Incorporated purchased the company behind the former Riviera Black Hawk Casino for $76 million in late-April of 2012 and subsequently rechristened the venue as the Monarch Casino Black Hawk. The new garage is part of a $295 million project that will see the casino also add a 23-story hotel tower featuring some 500 rooms on the adjacent site of its former parking facility.

“The completion and opening of the new parking structure in Black Hawk is an important milestone in our property expansion project and represents a major step forward as we move towards completion of our resort destination,” said John Farahi, Co-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer for Reno-based Monarch Casino And Resort Incorporated.

Monarch Casino And Resort Incorporated, which additionally operates the Atlantis Casino Resort Spa in Nevada, explained that guests are being provided with a shuttle service from the new garage to its existing Black Hawk casino. This arrangement is to continue until the full upgrade is completed, at which time the parking facility will be physically connected to the casino and the transfers will no longer be necessary.

“We are pleased to open our elegant new parking facility for guest use and believe that this significant addition to the Black Hawk skyline nicely represents the level of world-class resort experience that Monarch [Casino And Resort Incorporated] is bringing to Colorado,” said Farahi. “As our team progresses through the coming two-plus years of construction, we are committed to entertaining our guests in the manner they have come to expect and look forward to their continued patronage and excitement for the future of [the] Monarch Casino Black Hawk.”

Monarch Casino And Resort Incorporated additionally declared that it has begun preparations for the demolition and removal of the old parking structure for the Monarch Casino Black Hawk, which is expected to be completed during the first quarter of 2017 following a controlled implosion of the previous garage.

“Upon completion, the hotel tower and casino expansion will transform [the] Monarch Casino Black Hawk into a true resort destination that will nearly double the casino space and will add a 23-story hotel tower with approximately 500 guest rooms and suites, an upscale spa and pool facility, four restaurants and additional bars,” read a statement from Monarch Casino And Resort Incorporated.