Nov. 10--OTTUMWA -- With Ottumwa's casino application now before the state's racing and gaming commission, details are becoming available about what the city's proposed casino will look like.

Ken Mimmack, whose Ingenus management company will operate the casino, said he hopes people will react with enthusiasm. One of the primary challenges now, as he sees it, is maintaining public interest and support during the months-long review process from the commission.

The casino will not be one of the state's largest. That's by design. Mimmack said it would be foolish to promise more than the company can deliver.

"The commission is going to see what we think is an excellent plan that fits the market," he said. "We're not going to over-build right out of the gate."

The details now available include the plans for at least 500 slot machines in the casino. And Mimmack clarified that the "10 table games" the company had announced was a specific reference to the blackjack pit. The plans include all table games currently allowed by Iowa law and a small poker room.

The biggest question for many has been how the project will fit into the space allowed. Architectural plans call for the casino to be on the first floor of a new building that connects to Bridge View Center. The Rippling Waters Casino will emerge from the convention hall portion of the existing center, at almost a right angle to the existing front. That places the casino parallel to the Jefferson Street Viaduct.

Architects designed a facade to mimic the Des Moines River. Stonework extends from the ground up to a height of about 10 feet. Undulating metal rises in horizontal strips from that point in imitation of a river's waves.

The casino is on the ground floor and it will have a separate entrance from the one currently used for Bridge View. That is important to Mimmack, who said families must be able to avoid the casino if they choose to go to unrelated events at the existing center.

There is a difference in height for the casino floor and the other areas of the ground floor, which include a buffet restaurant and a smaller sub shop. The ceiling for the entrance and the casino floor is two stories above the ground, while the restaurant areas are covered by the second floor. The difference creates a balcony that functions as both an overlook space for the Eagle's Nest Lounge and the hotel's first operational floor. Plans call for at least 100 hotel rooms on four floors, for a total height of about six stories.

Parking is a separate issue. Mimmack envisions a four-floor parking garage on the other side of the Jefferson Street viaduct. A skywalk will connect the garage to the second floor of the casino/hotel facility.

That plan shifts one of the National Little League fields east. Mimmack said the league has agreed to that plan in exchange for Ingenus' assistance with drainage issues and construction of the new field.

"I think everyone agreed we've got to make space somehow. I think we've done a good job of making space," Mimmack said.

Several points are subject to ongoing negotiations. Getting traffic in and out of the casino requires extensive work with the Highway 34 exits and some possible changes to Church Street. Mimmack said talks with the Iowa Department of Transportation are productive, but that there are no firm decisions on what changes will be made. The situation, he said, "is still fluid."

Matt Milner can be reached at (641) 683-5359 or via e-mail at mwmilner@mchsi.com

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