June, 2003 - Page 1

Posted June 13, 2003

June is shaping up to be another big month. With the sky bridge from the parking garage finished, they were able to reopen Curry Street. They also painted and prettied up the first floor of the parking garage, in readiness for the grand opening of the Winchester Club. And then, on June 12th, they put up the banners announcing that the Winchester Club casino was open for business. This means that the owners are finally able to start taking in some revenue after three years of caretaking for a dead building. Hopefully this also means that the workforce will now turn their hammers towards the Ormsby House in earnest. Let's press on and see what they're doing! And remember, click on any picture for a closer view.

The month started off with some very lonely concrete forms. The workmen seemed to take a couple of weeks off around Memorial Day. Forms were set up, and then the site was left lifeless. Interior work was continuing on the Winchester Club, but nothing was happening outdoors.

These forms were set up right along Carson Street, in front of the old front doors. This area isn't going to be the main entrance anymore, but I'm not sure if these foundations are for an addition to the structure or just some decorative element.

And then, after the hiatus was over, the concrete trucks rolled onto the scene and started pumping out their mud.

The concrete set and the forms came off, and the shape of the building additions started to be more visible. This foundation is for the portecochere which will house the main entrance and the valet parking.

This is where the building is going to be expanded to the south, creating a new entry lobby.

In the back you can see where the building is going to come out to meet the sky bridge. For a long time I was wondering why the bridge ended so abruptly. Now I can see what's really going on.

The inside of the building hasn't changed in a couple of years. Gutted as usual. This area used to be the V&T coffee shop on the north end of the building.

This shot is looking from the west wall directly through to the main casino floor. That desk is sitting where the stage used to be when live bands would play here. Note the barbeque against the far wall. Lunch, anyone?

Another view onto the main casino floor. The elevator shafts are somewhere along the wall to the right. This corridor heads in from the west door, which used to be the route you would take when coming from the parking garage.

More pictures. Keep moving.