MGM Grand Detroit

The MGM Grand Detroit is one of three casino resort hotels in Detroit, Michigan, and one of four in the Detroit–Windsor area. It is owned by Vici Properties and operated by MGM Resorts International. The casino opened in its temporary location on July 29, 1999. The permanent, luxury resort hotel opened on October 3, 2007, with a grand event which included models and celebrities including Ashanti, Kid Rock, and fireworks.

MGM Grand Detroit
Address 1777 Third Street[1]
Detroit, Michigan 48226
Opening dateJuly 29, 1999 (July 29, 1999) (as temporary casino)
October 3, 2007 (October 3, 2007) (as permanent luxury resort)
ThemeArt Deco
No. of rooms401
Total gaming space100,000 sq ft
Permanent shows1,200-seat theatre
Signature attractionsUpscale shopping
VIP Night Club
Notable restaurantsPalette Dining Studio
D.PRIME Steakhouse
Detroit Central Market
TAP
Casino typeLand-based
OwnerVici Properties
Operating license holderMGM Resorts International
Websitewww.mgmgranddetroit.com

Detroit is one of the largest American cities and metropolitan regions to offer casino resort hotels.[2]

History

In 2005, the MGM Grand Detroit Casino was the subject of a possible sale when parent company MGM MIRAGE announced that it was acquiring rival casino company Mandalay Resort Group, owners of the MotorCity Casino. Due to Michigan state gaming laws prohibiting casino owners from acquiring or owning more than one casino in the state, MGM Mirage was forced to sell either the MGM Grand Detroit or the MotorCity casino. MGM MIRAGE had several serious buyers for the MGM Grand Detroit, but ultimately sold the MotorCity Casino to Marian Ilitch.[3]

On December 13, 2005, the Michigan Gaming Control Board approved MGM Grand's plans for a permanent casino with 100,000 square feet (9,300 m2) of casino space, 401 hotel rooms, and an eight-story self-parking garage to be located on John C. Lodge Freeway and Bagley Street, three to four blocks from the temporary casino. The facility has 30,000 square feet (2,800 m2) of meeting space for conferences and live performance seating for 1,200. The Casino also rebuilt 3rd Street into a two way boulevard to facilitate traffic movement around the site.

The permanent casino opened to the public on October 3, 2007. The grand opening celebration attracted Hollywood stars. A Celebrity Poker Match was taped there for a televised release at a later date. The MGM Grand Detroit stands across from the DTE Energy Headquarters which includes a reflecting pool and landscaped areas.

Designers on the project include the joint venture of Hamilton Anderson Associates and the SmithGroup, both of Detroit, Cleo Design of Las Vegas, Carol Harris of Detroit, Lawrence Lee of California, Toni Chi of New York, and Super Potato out of Japan. The lead architects were Paul Tonti of the SmithGroup and Thomas Sherry of Hamilton Anderson Associates. In 2007, DTE Energy announced a major transformation of the area around its downtown headquarters into an urban oasis with parks, walkways, and a reflecting pool adjacent to the MGM Grand Detroit.[4]

Just across the river, Caesars Windsor attracts about six million visitors annually.[5] More than fifteen million people cross the Ambassador Bridge and the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel annually.[6] An estimated 46 million people live within a 300-mile (480 km) radius of Metro Detroit.[7][8] Since 2000, the city has seen continuous annual increases in tax revenues from its casinos; the city estimates it will collect $178.25 million in casino taxes alone for 2007, with the casino resorts open in 2008.[9]

Ownership of MGM Grand Detroit, along with many other MGM properties, was transferred in 2016 to MGM Growth Properties (which was later acquired by Vici Properties in 2022), while MGM Resorts continued to operate it under a lease agreement.[10][11]

On May 17, 2017, Chris Cornell, the frontman of the grunge band Soundgarden was found dead with a "band around his nape of neck" in his room after performing at the Fox Theatre. Officials ruled his death a suicide by hanging.[12]

See also

References
  1. "Directions and Map to MGM Grand Detroit". Mgmgranddetroit.com. Retrieved December 5, 2013.
  2. Mink, Randy, and Karen Mink (July 2001).Detroit Turns 300 - Detroit 300 Festival. Travel America, World Publishing Co., Gale Group.
  3. Johnson, Richard L. (March 23, 2005). "MGM MIRAGE and Mandalay Resort Group Selling Mandalay's 53.53% Interest in the MotorCity Casino for Approximately $525 million". Hotel-online.com. Retrieved December 5, 2013.
  4. Morath, Eric (July 4, 2007). "DTE creating urban oasis". Detroit News. Downtown Detroit Partnership. Archived from the original on September 28, 2007.
  5. Cordiano, Joseph (February 15, 2005). Government of Ontraio invests in a competitive Casino Windsor Archived December 30, 2007, at the Wayback Machine.Ontario Ministry of Economic Development and Trade. Retrieved on October 28, 2007."Casino Windsor attracts around six million visitors each year and is a key driver of the local economy."
  6. Trade Point Detroit Windsor. Retrieved on May 24, 2009.
  7. Cities located close to Detroit.Time and Date world clock distances. Retrieved on September 2, 2007.
  8. Audi, Tamara (September 26, 2007). "What Happens in Detroit". The Wall Street Journal. p. B6. But the market at issue, as MGM Mirage sees it, includes a 300-mile (480 km) radius of potential overnight clients across the region,
  9. City of Detroit General Fund -Percent Change in major Revenue Sources Archived September 27, 2007, at the Wayback Machine. City of Detroit 2006-07 Budget
  10. "MGM Growth Properties LLC announces closing of initial public offering and full exercise of underwriters' option to purchase additional shares" (Press release). MGM Growth Properties. April 25, 2016. Retrieved May 8, 2022 – via PR Newswire.
  11. Eli Segall (May 2, 2022). "Casino landlord Vici closes $17B buyout of MGM Resorts spinoff". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved May 8, 2022.
  12. Farrell, Perry A.; Anderson, Elisha (May 18, 2017). "Police: Chris Cornell found dead in Detroit with 'band around his nape of neck'". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved August 2, 2017.

Media related to MGM Grand Detroit at Wikimedia Commons

  • Wikimedia graph of Detroit's casino revenues42°20′1″N 83°3′37″W
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