Operators of the state’s news casino in Cedar Rapids announced they will be opening sooner than projected.
Kim Pang is the general manager of Cedar Crossing Casino & Entertainment Center. “We originally planned for New Year’s Eve, but you know, we’re preparing for a mid-November opening now,” he says.
Pang says everything has fallen into place during construction. “Good weather has helped, more importantly, the local trades, right? Using trades locally has helped us, there’s a lot of pride in the building of the property,” Pang says.
Pang says the entertainment center is an important part of the $275 million development along the Cedar River. “We’ve got about 100 contracts out there for shows,so essentially, we’ve got shows every week in our event center, which we’re really proud of,” he says. “The furthest seat from the stage is 79 feet,so very intimate, you can fill up to 1,100 people in this arena,” he says. There is also a comedy club.
Pang says they will start adding employees in another month. “We’re going to be starting a huge push for the hiring process. We are listed on Indeed. People can go to cedarcrossing.com or LinkedIn to find positions that we’ll be posting. A majority of the hiring will start in September,” he says.
The Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission turned down a requests for a casino license from Cedar Rapids in 2014 and 2017 before approving a license in February of 2025. Pang says everyone is ready for the opening. “I’ve been on ground probably two-and-a-half years. People are excited. They are patient, excited, and cannot wait,” Pang says.
The casino will include 700 slot machines and 22 table games.
