Grand Soleil work slows

By Mary Hood (Contact) | The Natchez Democrat

Published Thursday, March 27, 2008

NATCHEZ — After months of seeing constant activity at the Grand Soleil site, it may seem like things have slowed down a bit.

Baxter Lee, marketing director for Grand Soleil, said the slow down is part of a transition period in construction.

“Everything is proceeding as planned,” Lee said.

Currently they are waiting on construction materials — steel, to be exact — for the railroad bridge that will be built.

“We’re in a holding pattern waiting on materials,” Lee said.

Bill Bayba, president and manager of Grand Soleil, said there are between 25 and 30 people still on site working in the meantime. He said that construction will pick up more next week.

Lee said the boat is also being worked on, too.

As for talk that the casino and hotel’s contractors pulled out, Lee said those are just rumors.

“I want to dispel those rumors as absolutely false; no contractors have pulled out,” he said.

Lee said one reason for this rumor is that much of the large equipment has been removed.

“People get accustomed to seeing big earth moving equipment,” Lee said.

When those pieces of equipment leave, it’s misleading, and people may assume that construction has come to a halt.

Lee said more large equipment is coming to take its place, though, in the new phase of construction that is about to begin.

“Then it’ll be as busy as usual,” he said.