posted on January 18, 2012 22:45
Lone Star Park at Grand Prairie unveiled $3 million in upgrades to its sports bar and simulcast room to local celebrities and the business community Thursday.
The renovations will help the horse racing complex "keep up with the Joneses," saidG.W. Hail, vice president and assistant general manager of Lone Star Park.
That reference is tied to Jerry Jones' Cowboys Stadium off Interstate 30 in Arlington, a few miles west of Lone Star Park.
This was Global Gaming Solutions first major capital improvement project at Lone Star Park, which the company acquired from bankruptcy court for an undisclosed amount in May.
"The existing simulcast facility had been here 15 years and was in dire need of a facelift," Hail said. "This is our cash cow. We are open 363 days a year here. Since we only have 79 live racing days, this facility contributes to a lot of purses."
The facility will help Lone Star Park provide a comfortable atmosphere for its core customer base that visits the complex three or four days a week, he said. The addition of the sports bar at Lone Star Park will also help it attract sports fans, he said.
"We are now targeting the casual sports fan that wants to come watch a Mavs game and have a beer," Hail said.
Lone Star Park will begin to show Ultimate Fighting Championship pay-per-view fights, the Super Bowl, and other championship games to sports fans, he said.
"We hope this is received well to the Dallas-Fort Worth sports fan that wants to come out to have a nice evening, and be exposed to horse racing," he said. "This is our new ride ... with this new technology, we are simply keeping up with the Joneses down the street."
1/13/12, Dallas Business Journal, Candace Carlisle