Well it's about time that one of the 'Racinos' in Broward takes a step forward. It seems that The Isle Casino at Pompano Park has some expansion plans. It's reported that they plan to ask the Broward County Commission tomorrow (10/14/08) to approve some zoning changes. These changes would allow The Isle to expand it's existing casino from 46,503 sq feet to 55,000 sq feet. They also are looking for an approval to build a 500-room hotel on the property. Finally, they are seeking industrial zoning on a separate portion of it's property. The race track grandstand and the 850 horse stalls and dormitory rooms would not be affected by these changes.

This is exactly what they need to compete with the Seminoles. The Isle is my personal favorite of the 3 Broward 'racinos' and if the hotel is done right, could be a big draw and tax revenue producer. With airfare going up, people are finding it harder to travel to other gaming areas (like Vegas) so this gives another option. Lets face it, Florida needs to stay ahead of the tourism curve and needs to diversify it's vacation options. We can't have all our eggs in Disney's basket or expect that our beaches will always bring them in. I think this is a smart move by The Isle and hope they get the approvals they need to build a nice facility with some great entertainment options in addition to the casino.