GLADES COUNTY -- Construction of the new hotel and casino at Seminole Brighton Reservation is going well.

On June 26, a “Topping Out” ceremony was held to celebrate the midway point in construction as the final beam was placed. Construction began in December 2023 and is expected to be complete in 2025.

“Today is an exceptional day,” stated Jim Allen, CEO of Seminole Gaming and Chairman of Hard Rock International. “A vision has truly become a reality as we placed the final beam atop the new property. I thank everyone involved in this project, from the designers and engineers to the day-to-day laborers that are showing the world what the Seminole Tribe is truly about – unconquered vision, unparalleled service and unlimited future.”

“Today’s ceremony marks a special moment for the Seminole Tribe of Florida and the Brighton Seminole Reservation,” said Marty Johns, general manager. “We can’t wait to open our doors. The new casino and hotel complex is expected to increase the number of tourists to the region, which is very important.”

The new resort, about three miles south of the existing Seminole Casino Brighton on County Road 721 in Glades County (aka Reservation Road) will replace the existing casino.

Seminole Brighton Bay Hotel & Casino will include space for 640 slot machines, 18 tables for blackjack, craps, roulette and other house-banked card games. There will be a smoke-free gaming space with 104 slot machines and a high-limit gaming area with 42 slot machines and four gaming tables.

The casino complex will have three restaurant options: EE-TO-LEE-KEE Grill, a 24-hour restaurant; the Josiah Steakhouse; and a fast-service carry out café offering a combination of items from a coffee shop and a pizza kitchen.

The complex will have room for more entertainment options. An indoor space can be set up with 400 seats for banquet events and bingo games or with 900 seats as a performance hall. An outdoor space will be available to host larger events.

In a first for Seminole casinos, the resort will have a 10-lane bowling alley.

The hotel will have 100 guest rooms, including a mix of rooms with one king bed or two queen beds, plus three suites. The hotel will feature a swimming pool and a fitness center.

The name, Seminole Brighton Bay Hotel & Casino, honors the proximity to Lake Okeechobee, where Fisheating Bay is a little more than 2 miles from the new facility. Fisheating Creek and Fisheating Bay get their names from the Seminole name Thlothlopopka-Hatchee which was recorded on a military map in 1839.  Thlothlopopka-Hatchee means “the river where fish are eaten.”

A joint venture of contractors Suffolk and WilMen are managing the project. Suffolk is a national, innovative contractor with a large footprint in Florida and experience managing gaming and resort projects throughout the country.

During the Topping Out ceremony, construction team members hoisted the final steel beam and secured it to the top of the structure. The beam had been signed by construction teams, Tribal officials and those present at the ceremony. A small tree was placed on top of the beam for good luck, a long-standing builder’s custom, which comes from a Scandinavian custom.

Seminole Tribal officials gathered for the Topping Out ceremony for the new Seminole Casino Brighton Bay Hotel & Casino on June 26. [Photo by Katrina Elsken/Lake Okeechobee News]

The Senminole Brighton Bay Hotel and Casino Topping Out ceremony was held on June 26. The final beam was signed by those present before it was lifted into place. The tree on top is a tradition attributed to the Scandinavian ritual of placing a tree on the top of a newly completed building. [Photo by Katrina Elsken/Lake Okeechobee News]

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