A bulldozer, temporary road, and a portable office may signal the start of Gateway Casino's new venture on Pinewood Park Drive in North Bay.
The dozer arrived Monday to construct a temporary road to the site, complete with a locked gate and "No Trespassing" sign. The portable office sits on the roadside without any identifying markings.
There is no sign of work permits, but the property has been staked.
A call and email to Gateway were not returned.
The property, just north of the former Moe Zee On Inn location is the expected site of the casino, although the company has not made any formal announcements but has done nothing to dampen speculation on the site either.
A $31 million facility is planned, covering a seven-acre parcel of land bordered by Pinewood Park Drive, Highway 11 and the PetroCanada station.
See: Gateway Casino has big plans for North Bay
Carrie Kormos, Senior Vice President, Marketing and Communications earlier told BayToday that the company will be consulting with the community and political leaders about developing a plan.
Kormos says Gateway has already done some research and looked at market capacity with competing facilities in Sudbury and Orillia, but will be doing more with local stakeholders to "really understand the market and scope out what we think would be the best fit in terms of the size and scale of the amenities for the community of North Bay."
See: New casino expected to be a regional draw with food and entertainment
The North Bay facility, named "Cascades Casino" is expected to open in the spring/summer of next year.
See: North Bay's 'Cascades Casino' to open in spring of 2020
The casino will contain approximately 14,100 square feet of gaming space, including 300 slot machines and 10 table games. It will also house a sports bar called MATCH, and a restaurant called The Buffet.
