�Project Sunburst� will triple the area of the existing property, adding more than four million square feet. It will include a 1,200-room luxury hotel tower; premier meeting and convention facilities, including the Northeast�s largest ballroom; a 10,000-seat arena; more gaming entertainment, retail and dining options; and a world-class spa and full-service fitness center.

The additional gaming entertainment will make Mohegan Sun one of the largest casino complexes in the world. Called the Casino of the Sky, the 115,000-square-foot space will feature a fully functioning planetarium.  �Mohegan Sun�s expansion makes it the largest private development project on the East Coast,� commented Roland J. Harris, L.S., chairman of the Mohegan Tribal Council, in announcing Project Sunburst. �In 2002, we will introduce to the world not only the premier entertainment, meeting and gaming destination on the East Coast, but an extraordinary, 24-hour venue that promises to redefine the casino destination experience.� 

The design of this second phase of Mohegan Sun�s development is a collaborative effort by several of the world�s most renowned firms. These include Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates, architects of Mohegan Sun�s dramatic yet understated exterior; the Rockwell Group, which is creating a Mohegan-inspired design for the new gaming space, hotel lobby, retail and dining areas; and Hirsch Bedner Associates, designers of the hotel guest room interiors, meeting space and spa.

Expansion highlights include:

• A 34-story, 1,200-room luxury hotel tower with spacious rooms and suites. At a minimum of 450 square feet, each room is outfitted with a luxurious bathroom, fine bedding, a full-size working desk area with ergonomic chair, three two-line telephones with dataports and more;
• The Casino of the Sky, which will add 115,000 square feet of gaming excitement under the world�s largest planetarium dome, including a magnificent high-limit gaming area and lounge;
• 100,000 square feet of high-tech and highly flexible meeting and function space, including the Northeast�s largest ballroom at 40,000 square feet and 30 meeting rooms to accommodate groups of virtually any size;
• A 10,000-seat arena that will host world-class entertainment and sporting events as well as serve as an exhibition hall for major trade shows and conventions;
• A 300-seat cabaret theatre named Elements, for more intimate performances;
• 175,000 square feet of new, premium retail space, in addition to the existing shopping promenade;
• Nine diverse new dining establishments, including four Rockwell-designed restaurants, bringing Mohegan Sun�s total culinary options to 29;
• A world-class spa, salon and full-service fitness center, featuring 20 dry and wet treatment rooms, the latest cardiovascular fitness equipment, a 16,000-square-foot indoor swimming pool and a 12,500-square-foot sun terrace; and
• A professionally managed business center, featuring individual workstations with Internet access, cellular telephones, pager rentals, shipping and receiving services, and the latest in business and productivity software.

Mohegan Sun�s two-phase development represents the largest project ever undertaken by the Rockwell Group, the highly acclaimed design firm behind both the original Casino of the Earth and the new Casino of the Sky. For the existing casino, Principal David Rockwell and his team created a magnificent design focusing on the Mohegan Tribe�s reverence for the changes of the seasons, while the expansion will celebrate the four elements and more celestial themes.
�While it is extremely detailed, there is not one inch of space in the entire structure that does not add to the authenticity, the romance and the excitement of the Mohegan Sun experience,� said Mitchell Grossinger Etess, executive vice president of marketing for Mohegan Sun. �This is a testament both to the talents of our designers and to the integral involvement of the Mohegan Tribal Council in every aspect of Mohegan Sun�s development.�

Mohegan Themes Abound in Authentic Design Elements

Providing a physical and thematic link between the Casino of the Earth and the Casino of the Sky will be a walkway at whose entrance will be a towering Tree of Life. The tree represents the creation of the Mohegan Tribe -- its roots, symbolizing the tribal elders, are embedded in the earth while its branches, representing the youth or future of the Mohegan Nation, stretch to the sky, expanding outward to support exquisite, back-lit beaded canopies. Stretching over the Rockwell-designed Casino of the Sky will be the largest planetarium dome in the world. The fully functioning planetarium will feature awe-inspiring projections of stars, constellations, cloud effects, the aurora borealis and an ever-changing light show. Round in shape, the Casino of the Sky will incorporate design elements representing the sunrise to the east, the sunset to the west, and the moon centered under the dome.

Standing at the center of the casino will be Wombi Rock, a soaring structure of translucent alabaster and onyx designed to resemble a massive rock outcropping, which will pulsate with lighting effects to complement the planetarium show. Signifying the journey of the spirit, it will house three levels of entertainment venues, including a lounge and a dance floor.

Tribal themes will also be apparent in the new premium shopping area, which will document the historic journey of the Mohegans as they traveled east through the desert, over great waters and mountains before arriving at their present location in Connecticut. These various environments will be represented through custom floor and ceiling finishes. Several �memory piles� will serve as interactive customer information sites along the walkway, reflecting the traditional rock piles that served as tribal memorials to an important event or person.  The elements will be represented in four individual new restaurants designed by Rockwell. A 100-seat gourmet restaurant will feature water cascading down edge-lit walls into a stream; a 24-hour restaurant will offer an exquisitely airy design scheme; a 345-seat buffet will celebrate the sun in handcrafted light fixtures and custom chandeliers; and a dining court will represent the 13 lunar phases of a tribal calendar year through design elements that include a 40-foot globe.

Rockwell�s striking design for the hotel lobby will resemble a cedar forest. Ten trees, graced by sparkling beaded canopies, represent the red cedars that are sacred to the Mohegans, and will surround a reflecting pool lined with glass mosaic geode tiles. These will symbolize the layers of Mohegan culture past, present and future.  Among the other design highlights reflecting Mohegan tribal culture will be Taughannick Falls, a massive waterfall flowing down to Chahnameed�s Island, a bar/restaurant at the foot of the falls, named after a historic figure in Mohegan folklore. Six custom floor lamps resembling giant cornhusk dolls will line the perimeter of the restaurant.

Owned by the Mohegan Tribal Nation, Mohegan Sun is one of the largest, most distinctive and spectacular destinations in the United States. It is situated in scenic Southeastern Connecticut on 240 acres along the Thames River in the town of Uncasville. Within easy access of New York, Boston, Hartford and Providence, as well as a wealth of popular activities and attractions, it is already renowned as a legendary entertainment and gaming center. Mohegan Sun is now evolving into a multidimensional destination featuring 1,200 hotel rooms, premier meeting and convention space, a 10,000- seat arena and a world-class spa. It is ideally suited for discerning business and leisure travelers.