Newport Grand opens new gaming area

NEWPORT – Newport Grand last week held a grand-opening ceremony for the $28 million renovation of its former jai alai arena into a 22,000-square-foot gambling area.
The new space has 500 video slot machines, six virtual blackjack tables, two new restaurants and new security and back-of-the-house operations, the company said. The renovation was designed by DiLeonardo International of Warwick and built by Walsh Brothers Inc. of Boston.
“Our team has designed and built a beautiful new gaming space for the State of Rhode Island,” CEO Diane Hurley said in a statement. The design team “should be commended on a wonderful job and applauded for doing a tremendous job in meeting the needs of our customers while simultaneously taking our property to the next level.”
The addition includes a 72-seat Café Express and 28-seat Cocktail Lounge.
“This facility is very personal to my family,” Hurley said. “My dad, Arthur Silverster, built this building, serving as the general contractor in 1975. On June 10, 1976, the first game of jai alai was played. And while the opening night was not as crowded as we had hoped, jai alai was soon embraced by Newport and Rhode Island, enduring many ups and downs until 2003.”
The City of Newport, in an effort to block the expansion, had denied a zoning variance in 2006, when the project was proposed. Superior Court Judge Melanie Wilk Thunberg in February 2007 said the city had gone beyond its authority in doing so.
Opened in 1976, Newport Grand employs about 200 people and has more than 1,500 video slot machines. For additional information, visit www.newportgrand.com.