Casino Spurs New Development in French Lick

News Release: GROUNDBREAKING SCHEDULED FOR FRENCH LICK TOWN CENTER DEVELOPMENT Restaurants, Shops, Offices and Residences Expected to Add Lively Mix to Town Green Across From French Lick Resort Hotel and Casino FRENCH LICK, IN – A groundbreaking ceremony will be held Thursday, January 31 at noon on the French Lick Town Green to celebrate the start of construction of French Lick’s first downtown mixed-use project. The groundbreaking marks another important step in the town’s evolution from downtrodden has-been to sparkling historic resort town. The mixed-use project is being jointly developed by Bloomington-based Upland Development Group and Jasper-based LV Associates. The 63,000 square foot development will include 21,000 square feet of restaurants, shops, and commercial space on the ground floor and 36 residential units above. The three-story brick and limestone building will feature outdoor dining along the Town Green, New Orleans-style balconettes with French doors overlooking the Town Center and French Lick Springs Hotel, and a four-story tower topped by a luxury penthouse unit with private elevator access and a private rooftop terrace. The development’s restaurants and shops will look across the Town’s recently dedicated Town Green, a gathering place for residents and visitors that includes spray fountains, elaborate landscaping, limestone seating and an eye-catching steel gazebo. The area is expected to be the site of regular concerts, farmers’ markets, festivals and other community events, and a magnet for visitors to French Lick’s historic hotels, casino, and water park, and nearby Patoka Lake. “This is yet another momentous day for French Lick and the entire Valley,” said French Lick Town Council President Bill Ratliff. “With this landmark building anchoring our new Town Center and creating a bridge to French Lick’s historic downtown, the heart of French Lick will beat ever stronger with new life getting pumped into the entire downtown community.”