The French Lick Springs Resort Casino lies on 2,600 acres of the Hoosier National Forest, and is surrounded by natural springs that originally drew travelers to the area for their healing qualities. Dr. William A. Bowles initially opened the original French Lick Springs Hotel in 1845. Franklin Delano Roosevelt enjoyed its amenities, and in 1931 announced his plans to run for the presidency from within its stately walls. Unfortunately, over the past century, the property had been increasingly neglected.
However, WorthGroup recently served as master-planners for a complete overhaul of the property, a $382 million project. WorthGroup, who designed the expansion, began construction on the casino in August 2005; CFC Construction assisted in the complete hotel renovation. The grand opening for the entire project was held in October 2006.
WorthGroup was involved in completing the interior design on the property, and designed all the new architectural structures. Brian Fagerstrom, vice president, explained: “We were the architect on record for the new structures: the casino, events center, and parking garage, and we provided interior design services as a consultant for G.S. Ridgeway and Associates.
“The work was tailored to the expertise of each construction company. CFC had extensive experience with historic construction, and Lauth construction did all of the new work. Their experiences complemented each other well; they had people who had done preservation work before—people who knew the various nuances of working within a historic structure.
One obstacle WorthGroup had to consider was the location of the new casino in relationship to the newly renovated hotel. The original hotel, which opened in 1845, was severely damaged in a fire and reconstructed.
Fagerstrom noted: “It is a historic structure and a national landmark, so we placed the casino on the end to accentuate the historic façade of the hotel. The events center, which was placed adjacent to the hotel, took design cues from the hotel façade, including limestone, brick, cornice elements, and arch-top windows.”
WorthGroup designed a series of bridges that connect the glamorous hotel and event center to the casino and parking garage. “The design was inspired by an element on the hotel called the Pluto Pavilion, which is a crescent-shaped pavilion, in Beaux Arts style architecture,” he said.
Per the Indiana Gaming Commission’s regulations, WorthGroup designed the casino to maintain an appearance of a traditional riverboat. “The state regulations required a riverboat theme casino, but all of the other elements, the bridges, and parking garage, are all architecturally designed to complement the hotel.”
However, WorthGroup focused on maintaining the classic elegance of the historic hotel throughout, despite state regulations. “The interior design [of the casino] was derived from the French Lick hotel lobby. There were many scagliola plaster columns, marquis lighting, and a similar color palette.”
With a traditional layout, the casino maintains the pit and table games in the center of the gaming floor. Yet, WorthGroup’s classic touches are found in the details. “There is a central dome element designed to represent a stained glass ceiling, ornamental metal iron work, and a series of stately columns,” Fagerstrom added.
Key Players
The Owner: Blue Sky, LLC, comprised of Orange County Holdings, Lauth Resorts and Casinos
General Contractors: CFC Construction (a subsidiary of Cook Group) - Hotel Lauth Construction (subsidiary of Lauth Resorts and Casinos) - Casino and Parking Garage
Architects/Designers: WrothGroup Architects
Hotel Architect of Record: G.S. Ridgeway
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