GULF COAST REBUILT
Louis was the smallest coastal property on the Gulf. General Manager/COO John Ferrucci laments that Lady Luck was not with them that weekend. “We were the little mouse
that roared because we didn’t even have a hotel. We targeted those southeastern Louisiana parishes south of Lake Pontchartrain,” Ferrucci says. After purchasing the former
President Casino’s three-level gaming barge in April 2005, the Silver Slipper planned a four-week renovation and relocation. By Friday, August 27, 2005, the barge was ready for the shipyard refurbishment, but never made it. As Katrina hit Sunday night, the barge flew over Highway 90, landing atop a hotel. Ferrucci explains, “The state closed everything by midnight. At 8 a.m. on Saturday, August 28, the Mississippi Gaming Commission collected backup informational computer tapes. They then secured the money and building.” The Hard Rock also suffered bad timing, after
receiving its license that very weekend to open the Monday after Katrina hit. As Biloxi Public Affairs Manager Vincent Kreel wryly states, “The Hard Rock had one customer that weekend, and Katrina was it.” Hard Rock President/General Manager Duncan
McKenzie describes the casino barge’s engineering as ultimately disastrous. Lacking interior support columns, the storm caused the barge to “pancake”, leveling everything on top of itself.
The post-Katrina era
What would come next? Virtually everyone praises Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour’s leadership immediately and throughout the following years. They claim his management expertise expedited the rebuilding and minimized delays. “Haley Barbour fought in the political arena north of the I-10 highway. After Katrina, the legislators quickly enacted the relocation law. Wall Street approved, which eliminated the biggest risk factor for legislators,” says Ferrucci. Rebuilding meant accumulating resources beyond Mississippi. As a successful lawyer, Washington
lobbyist and former chairman of the Republican National Committee (1993-1997), Barbour understood the workings of the federal government system. McKenzie applauds Barbour’s political skills,
saying, “Governor Barbour used his Washington experience on our behalf. His appreciation of gaming as a revenue source meant being treated like other businesses. Our original legislation had supported a free-market model.”
As Biloxi Public Affairs Manager Vincent Kreel wryly states, “The Hard Rock had one customer that weekend, and [Hurricane] Katrina was it.”
Mississippi Hotel & Lodging Association Executive
Director Linda Hornsby also describes Barbour as relentless. She states, “Nothing was enough. Every time funding came through, Governor Barbour returned to Washington for more.” His personal involvement soothed everyone emotionally. Jill Alexander, senior director, corporate communications at the Isle of Capri Casinos, Inc. says, “Governor Barbour rolled up his sleeves, coupling leadership with compassion. He visited the Gulf Coast an unprecedented number of times.”
Community spirit rebuilt the coast Facing billions in damages, each casino determined
its own road to recovery. They questioned whether to reopen in stages or wait for the reconstruction to be complete? Several venues, including Harrah’s Grand, MGM’s Beau Rivage, the Isle of Capri’s Isle and Hard Rock’s Hard Rock, had corporate owners who could secure outside resources for financing. MGM Resorts International Regional Operations President and Chief Operating Officer George P.
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