Hard Rock Cafe/Hotel in BRANSON?

stlouguy · Post by **stlouguy** » Sat Aug 16, 2003 10:41 pm

I don't think Hard Rock is enough of a reason to get me to Branson...

From today's St. Louis Post-Dispatch:

Branson plans $300 million waterfront convention center
By TODD C. FRANKEL
Post-Dispatch
08/17/2003

BRANSON, Mo. - This musical mountain town is pushing ahead with an ambitious $300 million convention center and commercial development along its waterfront.

The Branson Landing project calls for a mile-long curving boardwalk, town square, convention center, 300-room hotel and 500,000 square feet of retail space, which is about three times as large as Union Station in St. Louis.

Hard Rock Cafe is one of two firms looking to build the hotel, said Rick Huffman, president of HCW Development Co.

A Hard Rock Cafe in Branson?

"The entire project will bring in customers from Kansas City, St. Louis and Little Rock who might not normally come to Branson," Huffman said.

City and business officials certainly hope so.
The average age of a Branson tourist is 56, and the entertainment offerings rely heavily on performers unfamiliar to a younger generation (like the Lennon Sisters or Andy Williams and Glen Campbell). Grumblings about business being down this year are flying up and down the main Highway 76 strip. And this month, the company that owns Silver Dollar City and four other Branson properties announced it was laying off 90 people because of slack attendance.

Branson Landing is planned for the spot where Highway 76 dead-ends into Lake Taneycomo, just on the other side of Boxcar Willie Drive. The shops of historic Branson sit nearby.

The project is expected to break ground in December and open in phases beginning in the summer of 2005.

"It will change Branson," city spokesman Jerry Adams said.

Reporter Todd C. Frankel
E-mail: tfrankel@post-dispatch.com
Phone: 314-340-8110

QueSi2Opie · Post by **QueSi2Opie** » Sun Aug 17, 2003 8:58 am

I dunno, I'm 28 (for 3 more days) and I still like Branson. I don't care for country or gospel music, but some of the live shows are good...such as Yakov Smirnov, the Chinese Arcrobats, the magic shows, etc. Plus the Hollywood Wax Museum, Ripley's Believe It Or Not, Silver Dollar City, etc. are nice. It's a beautiful chunk of Missouri and there's more to Branson than live music.

kcmajik · Post by **kcmajik** » Sun Aug 17, 2003 2:28 pm

yeah it is beautiful, but i don't know for how much longer. the MO state budget is calling for allowances of casinos in nearby rockaway beach. im sure that will bring all kinds of wonderful attention to the area(whatever). it doesn't surprise me though that hard rock is considering that development. the hammons' chateau on the lake is beautiful and is really one of a kind in missouri.

QueSi2Opie · Post by **QueSi2Opie** » Sun Aug 17, 2003 9:13 pm

kcmajik wrote:yeah it is beautiful, but i don't know for how much longer. the MO state budget is calling for allowances of casinos in nearby rockaway beach. im sure that will bring all kinds of wonderful attention to the area(whatever). it doesn't surprise me though that hard rock is considering that development. the hammons' chateau on the lake is beautiful and is really one of a kind in missouri.

I've always thought of Branson as a Williamsburg, Virginia or a Gatlinburg, Tennessee. I love to gamble, but Branson doesn't need to be a damn mini-Vegas. However, I don't think one casino will hurt the area...especially since the Missouri Gaming Commission can limit the number of casinos in the state.