In Canada, local officials in the Vancouver suburb of Langley have unanimously approved a plan from Gateway Casinos And Entertainment Limited to expand the casino operator’s Cascades Casino Hotel And Convention Centre property.

According to a report from the Langley Times newspaper, Burnaby-based Gateway Casinos And Entertainment Limited will now begin construction in the spring on the two-story and 23,000 sq ft addition that is set to house a pair of additional restaurants alongside more space for gaming and special events.

Gateway Casinos And Entertainment Limited revealed that the addition is to be built on the south side of the existing British Columbia venue where it faces Fraser Highway and see its second level house a franchise of the upscale Atlas steak and seafood restaurant as well as a smaller Chow casual dining spot. It explained that the current Match and buffet restaurants are to remain while the ground floor will contain additional gaming areas and restrooms. The development is to moreover feature a special occasional area on the roof where Atlas also intends to grow its own herbs and vegetables.

Leon Viger from Mallen Gowing Berzins Architecture Incorporated told members of the Langley City Council that the expansion is to create roughly 100 full and part-time jobs and see the facility’s gaming floor grow by about 10% although he revealed that Gateway Casinos And Entertainment Limited has no plans to add more slots or table games to the existing portfolio.

However, Viger additionally reported that the development will lead to the loss of some 35 parking spaces but that the remaining room should be “more than plenty adequate”. Supporting this assertion, a report from Gerald Minchuk, Development Services And Economic Development Director for Langley, found that the venue is to “maintain a large parking surplus above city requirements”.

“The building addition substitutes an attractive and animated façade and roof patio for a mostly blank wall, improving the casino’s engagement with Fraser Highway and the downtown core beyond,” read the report from Minchuk.