As construction of the Snoqualmie Casino expansion rounds past the halfway mark, and the tower of the new hotel begins to form, the once-rendered photos are becoming a reality.

Since the casino broke ground in 2022, the construction has moved swiftly through the multi-phase project and, along the way, has created unexpected systems that will benefit casino employees.

The project has surpassed phase one — construction on the valet entrance and parking facilities — and moved on to phases two and three, said Stanford Le, CEO and president of Snoqualmie Casino.

Phase two encompasses the construction of a convention space comprising 32,000 square feet allocated for meeting areas and a 22,000-square-foot ballroom. Phase three specifically centers on the development of a 210-room hotel tower.

As construction progresses, additional amenities such as a full-service spa, fitness center, indoor pool, two new restaurants and an additional 11,000 square feet of casino gaming space will be incorporated into the establishment.

One unexpected result of the construction is the investment in bus transportation for casino employees.

Le said the construction created inevitable traffic, causing inconveniences for employees. To solve the issue, the casino began a multi-shuttle system for employees. One shuttle reaches from the casino to Kent and the other to Covington.

Le mentioned that the shuttle service offers enhanced safety compared to employees driving in individual cars, which leads to savings on gas expenses and low-stress rides to work with complimentary wi-fi.

With an expected 200 to 250 new employees, Le said the shuttle services will continue past the launch of the new expansion, with plans to expand the routes and “make life easy, not only for new team members, but existing team members.”

The expansion of the casino is on target to be completed the first quarter of 2025.

“We’ll do a little soft launch to make sure that our processes are good, and facilities are well established and well run,” Le said. “Then we’ll usually do a grand opening shortly after that.”