American casino operator Tropicana Entertainment has announced that it will begin work on a $50 million expansion project for its Tropicana Evansville property next week with the entire process expected to be complete by December of 2017.

Las Vegas-based Tropicana Entertainment, which also operates the MontBleu Resort Casino And Spa in Nevada along with New Jersey’s Tropicana Casino And Resort Atlantic City, declared that the venture will see the 21-year-old Indiana casino add 75,000 sq ft of space comprising a new 45,000 sq ft gaming area along with a yet-to-be-named “upscale restaurant and bar”.

“Evansville is the entertainment hub of the entire tri-state area,” read a statement from John Chaszar, General Manager for Tropicana Evansville. “This extensive expansion project along with Tropicana’s distinctive service program will provide guests with a new and vibrant hospitality experience.”

Located along the banks of the Ohio River, Tropicana Evansville opened in 1995 as the state’s first casino and already offers a 2,700-passenger riverboat casino as well as a 243-room hotel and a 96-room boutique hotel. The facility moreover features an executive conference center, a 1,660-vehicle parking garage, and its Riverfront Pavilion, which houses pre-boarding facilities, retail shops, restaurants and a lounge area.

The coming expansion will also see the property house a deli and combination lounge and entertainment venue while Tropicana Entertainment stated that its President and Chief Executive Officer, Tony Rodio, is to be joined by Sara Tait, Executive Director for the Indiana Gaming Commission, and Evansville mayor Lloyd Winnecke at a special July 19 ground-breaking ceremony.