Barona Valley Ranch Resort and Casino Project    San Diego, CA ($260M)

The Barona Band of Mission Indians asked URS (Mr. Brian Kasen) to conduct a performance assessment on their $260 million resort hotel and casino expansion when the project was three months behind schedule and expended 13% of its contingency budget. As a result of the performance assessment necessary changes to project oversight were implemented, the client hired Mr. Kasen to provide program and construction management for the new 310,000-square-foot casino and 400-room resort hotel.

Mr. Kasen reorganized the construction management and contractor personnel and augmented existing staff with personnel having greater experience with large and complex projects. A project management plan was developed and implemented to bring construction back on track giving the client the appropriate management tools and information to make more effective decisions concerning schedule and budget. A new schedule was developed to deal with completion of construction and operational transfer issues during the last three to four months, with the old casino remaining open for all but two weeks during new facility commissioning. The project was finished on time and under budget.

The hotel and casino were designed by Berman, Walls & Associates to reflect the cultural identity of the Barona Band of Mission Indians while providing guests with a world-class vacation getaway. The casino contains 78,000 square feet of gaming space with 2,000 slot machines and 54 gaming tables; a bingo hall; and a 430-seat off-track betting facility. Restaurants include the rustic 750-seat Ranch House Buffet, the Turf Club, the Barona Steakhouse, a food court, and the 200-seat Branding Iron Café overlooking the Barona Valley. A manmade lake, waterfall, and water wheel harmonize with the local landscape.

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