Calder slot building opens, and it's more expansive than you'd think

> Posted by Nick Sortal on January 22, 2010 12:00 PM

Slot players got their first look inside the Calder Race Course Casino Friday morning, and compared it to other recently opened facilities in South Florida.

Their take: it's a lot more spacious that some other places down here.

"It's a lot bigger than I thought," said Cliff Simpson, 59, of Miramar. "I tip my hat to Calder."

Simpson sat at a restaurant with his friend a 57-year-old reggae musician from Pembroke Pines who goes by the name "Sky High." Both also play the horses, and say Calder is their home.

"And our home just got bigger," Simpson said. "During this time, people need something to help their morale. "You don't even have to play, just bump shoulders with someone and talk.

"And I lost money already."

Only about a dozen gamblers were on hand at the 9 a.m. opening Friday, but within an hour, another couple of hundred had arrived at the Miami Gardens casino, which has 1,200 slot, video blackjack and video poker machines.

The state allows pari-mutels a max of 1,500 machines, and only the Isle has more spread across one floor. The Isle has 1,462. Magic City Casino in Miami has 700 on one floor. Mardi Gras has 1,360 divided on two floors and Gulfstream about 850 on two floors.

My take is that Calder looks closest to the Isle Casino and Racing, although, yes, Calder's green-and-tan square outside had me thinking more "slots barn" than "casino." Glad to be wrong.

Landscapers gussied up the flowers outside, valet parking attendants waited for customers and casino greeters and slot assistants welcomed each visitor.

"Very impressive," said Mary Wern, 55, of Pompano Beach. She normally plays at the Isle and likes non-smoking casinos (all non-Indian ones are) but said the Isle need a better variety of slot machines. "I see some different games here that I want to try."

Calder said machine titles include Star Trek, Wheel of Fortune, Wizard of Oz, Jaws, Slingo and Monopoly. (I think those are common at most places but I'm not real good with slot names, so help me out here, readers.) “Royal Match 21” (the same virtual blackjack as at the other parimutuels) is at the west entrance, and in the spring, Calder's parent company, Churchhill Downs, will roll out new Kentucky Derby-themed slot machines. Another area can easily be converted for slot tournaments. Like every other pari-mutuels, they don't have blackjack or any other table game.

The casino has a grab 'n' go restaurant, called Front Runners, which had meatball hoagies for $7, deli sandwiches for $6.25, and 9-inch pizzas for $4. The sit-down restaurant is called the Twin Spires Tavern. Ribs are $18, a hamburger is $10 and filet mignon $24. The Tropical Gardens Buffet is $10 for lunch and $15 for dinner and has food stations, including Italian and Asian spots. There's also a center-bar area similar to Fling at the Isle, with video poker on the bar tops and a feeling like you'd want to hang out there.

The high-limit area is placed off to the side, with a separate bathroom and bar and TVs around the walls. Machines are $1 and $5.

The casino opening apparently has boosted the poker action, which had been slumping. Calder had 11 tables going and a waiting list of players as of 11 a.m Friday, which is two or three more tables than normal, poker room manager Chris Trabue said.

And for those who have navigated a dark, confusing parking lot the past few months, take heart: Calder has moved away many of the barriers, and a new road from University Drive leads directly to the casino entrance.

The grand opening is next weekend. Hours are 9 a.m. to 3 a.m. Sunday through Thursday, 24 hours on Friday and Saturday.

More info at: CalderRaceCourse.com or 954-523-4324.

Entertainment

Brand New Facility Features Over 1,200 Las Vegas-Style Slot Machines and Three New Restaurants

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (January 21, 2010) – The brand-new Calder Casino at Calder Casino & Race Course will open its doors for guests for the first time on Friday, Jan. 22 at 9:00 a.m. as a result of passing its review by the State of Florida earlier this afternoon.

The expansive single-level facility (104,000 square feet total) boasts over 1,200 Class III slot machines in an atmosphere reminiscent of the best casinos in Las Vegas. The Calder Casino is the only casino at a Thoroughbred horse track in Miami-Dade County and is the second pari-mutuel facility in the county to offer slots. Voters approved a referendum to allow slot machines at the then three existing pari-mutuel facilities in Miami-Dade in January 2008. Calder broke ground on the new facility on June 3, 2009 and completed construction earlier this month.

Gaming enthusiasts will love the layout of the facility, from the broad, easy access entrance and parking and valet service; to the immediate reward of the casino floor upon entry; to the convenience of the three new restaurants and center casino bar, a VIP room and an exclusive High Limit slots parlor; and a total of 70 flat-screen digital monitors. Guests will also appreciate the convenient location: Calder Casino is on the Miami-Dade / Broward County Line, right on NW 27^th Avenue (University Drive) and just north of Dolphin Stadium.

Games like Star Trek, Wheel of Fortune, Wizard of Oz, Jaws, Slingo and Monopoly are some of the most popular in the industry and are now available at Calder. “Royal Match 21” (electronic blackjack) is new to the marketplace and is featured at the Calder Casino as well. Coming in the spring will be the new Kentucky Derby-themed slot machine, licensed by Calder’s parent company, Churchill Downs Incorporated (“CDI”).

Hundreds of construction workers were employed by Calder and CDI over the last seven months to make the Calder Casino a reality. Calder has also nearly doubled its full-time workforce to support the new business, meaning new jobs for over 400 South Floridians.

The Calder Casino will be open every day from 9 a.m. to 3 a.m. and 24 hours on weekends. In addition to the slot machines, the Calder Casino also offers three brand new dining options:

Twin Spires Tavern

• Casual, South Florida with Latin/Caribbean influences
• Sporty atmosphere with a chic flair featuring choices ranging from sandwiches to steaks, appetizers to entrees and salads to decadent desserts
• Beautiful, centrally-located bar

Tropical Gardens Buffet

• A plethora of tempting choices, including a “comfort food” section with a carving station; an Italian station with a brick pizza oven as its centerpiece; authentic gas fired woks anchoring the Pacific Rim display; and the center island with garden fresh salads and an extensive assortment of dessert choices

Front Runners

• “Grab and Go”
• Relaxed fare with quick and friendly service for guests who want a fast snack to replenish themselves prior to returning to the excitement of the casino floor

Calder guests can also wager on live Thoroughbred simulcast races or play Texas Hold ‘Em, Omaha, and 7-Card Stud at Studz Poker Club every day and night of the week. Studz Poker Club, which opened in October 2009, is located on the first floor of the existing grandstand building and is a gateway between the new slots facility and the horse racing facility. A covered walkway connects the two buildings.

Calder first opened as a horse racing track in 1971 and has welcomed locals and visitors alike every year since then. It’s been one of the most successful pari-mutuel franchises in Florida’s history. A Grand Opening celebration for the new casino is scheduled for Jan. 29-31, at which there will be a celebration toast, cake and ribbon cutting.

Calder Casino & Race Course, located on South Florida’s Miami-Dade / Broward county line, offers gaming action with over 1,200 slot machines in the brand new Calder Casino, Thoroughbred horse racing during two consecutive meets, year-round simulcasting, and card games in Studz Poker Club. Calder is a wholly owned property of Churchill Downs Incorporated (NASDAQ Global Select Market: CHDN). Information about Calder Casino &Race Course can be found on the Internet at www.calderracecourse.com.

New homes buck trend in

dismal South Florida market

Monterra, a new, single-family-home community, is going up on the largest undeveloped tract of land in Broward.

BY INA PAIVA CORDLE

Even though South Florida home prices are still dismal and foreclosures are expected to take years to sell off, two high-profile developers are taking a chance on building a 1,600-home community in Cooper City.

Monterra will be the first large-scale, single-family project launched in Broward County since the housing downturn and recession began. A company whose parent is now in bankruptcy originally owned the site and built several dozen homes before construction ground to a halt.

Despite the anemic economy, partners Armando Codina and Jim Carr are betting consumers are ready to buy a brand-new home they say will be comparable in price per square foot with short sales and foreclosures. Prices will range from the low $200,000s to more than $400,000.

Construction on the first model homes began last week, and Monterra's sales office opens Friday. The 500-acre community will be built over the next several years on the largest undeveloped tract of land in the county.

The partners say sales in the area are starting to inch up, and the timing is right.

``I think we have come to the intersection where a new home price and a foreclosed price are meeting,'' said Codina, chairman of CC Devco Homes, a 2-year-old development company he and Carr founded. ``And that is to me a watershed point and the reason I feel comfortable.''

Price will be key to Monterra's performance, analysts say.

`A CHANCE'

``If they are going to compete with short sales, then they've got a chance,'' said real-estate analyst David Dabby, president of the Dabby Group in Coral Gables.

``There is so little new construction that whatever demand there is they'll get it.''

Overall, the average sales price of a home in Broward has fallen more than 50 percent since the peak in 2006, Dabby said. Foreclosures are expected to continue and will take years to be absorbed, he said. But, Dabby said, prices started to bottom out last year and are stabilizing.

The partners concede that real estate remains depressed. To make Monterra feasible, Codina and Carr say they downscaled the project, made it less dense and waited a year after buying the land.

Formerly the site of the Waldrep Dairy farm, Monterra is bordered by University Drive, Pine Island Road, Sheridan Street and Stirling Road.

Carr and Codina bought the land for more than $50 million from the bankruptcy of Hollywood home builder Tousa. They also bought outstanding bonds and a mortgage, which added up to $167 million of debt on the failed project.

Engle Homes, a unit of Tousa, had already laid the roads and much of the infrastructure for a planned community that was to have included condominiums and multifamily units. But the parent company became a victim of the recession and filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in January 2008.

Tousa still owns 87 lots, known as Estada, originally part of Monterra, across Pine Island Road from the new project.

``Between Doral and Coral Springs, this is the only new single-family home community,'' said Carr, chief executive of CC Devco Homes.

New communities have been built in South Dade since the recession but sales have been sluggish and some projects stand nearly empty.

It's an open question whether other developers will follow Codina and Carr's lead.

``The only builders that are having any success in the Florida marketplace are those that have bought land cheap and have downsized their product line to be competitive with foreclosure and short sale prices,'' said Jack McCabe, chief executive of McCabe Research & Consulting in Deerfield Beach. ``Other builders that have not adapted to this marketplace are fishing and golfing, waiting it out for the market to come back, and there is no way to know how long that will be.''

Data for most of 2009, compiled American Realty Consultants, show that 261 homes sold in Cooper City, with an average sales price of $349,387, or $140 per square foot.

Monterra's pricing will average $135 per square foot. Prices will range from the low to mid-$200,000s for 1,100 to 1,600-square-foot courtyard homes built by Minto Communities, which is buying land from CC Devco; to $270,000 and up for 1,700 to 2,400-square-foot homes.

At $330,000 and up, buyers can purchase 2,100 to 3,200-square-foot homes. Larger homes with up to 4,000 square feet are planned for a later phase.

Making their prices even more competitive, the partners say, is that foreclosed homes are often distressed properties requiring work and investment, and buyers may need home equity lines, which are hard to get.

SHINY AND NEW

Their new homes will come with granite countertops, wood cabinets and new stainless-steel appliances as standard features.

The first model home won't be ready for more than three months, but pilasters already line the roads where royal palms will be planted. On a recent workday, landscapers were laying sod around the new sales office and earthmovers were filling in the lake borders. The first buyers can expect to move in in mid-2010.

For Codina and Carr, Monterra's location was a major draw. Considered ``infill'' housing, it is on land that is already surrounded by development in a family-oriented suburban area with easy access to shopping.

Monterra is the first construction project for CC Devco, which also has acquired property in Miramar and Jacksonville. Carr's expertise is in home building while Codina has been a successful commercial developer. Neighborhood shopping centers with grocery, drugstore and other retail space are also planned for Monterra. When completed, Carr expects the total investment in the project to be $500 million to $600 million.

Both partners have a long history in South Florida development. Carr, 58, founded home builder Westbrooke Cos. in 1976 and sold it to Standard Pacific Corp. of Irvine, Calif. in 2002.

Codina, 62, founded the predecessor of the Codina Group in 1980 and served as chairman until 2006 when he merged it with Florida East Coast Industries. He then became chairman of Flagler Development, part of FECI, and remained in that position after FECI was sold to Fortress Investment Group in 2007. Codina also serves as chairman of the private family enterprise Codina Partners.

``These particular developers/builders are very savvy,'' McCabe said.

How hungry home buyers will be, amid an economy scarred by high unemployment, remains a big question. But the partners, who were friends before they became business associates, say they can be patient.

``It will be interesting to see how strong the demand is,'' McCabe said. ``But without a doubt, the developers/builders have correctly targeted their product and price range for today's competitive marketplace.''

Location:Cooper City. More than 500 acres, bordered by University Drive, Pine Island Road, Sheridan Street and Stirling Road.

Homes: About 1,600 when completed, ranging in price from low $200,000s to more than $400,000.

Commercial component:Grocery, drug store and other retail space, eventually.

Developer:CC Devco Homes, owned by Armando Codina and Jim Carr.

Total investment:$500 million to $600 million.

Construction:First model home will be ready in about 3 months; first homeowners could move in mid-2010.

Website:Monterrafl.com.

Florida Career College at Jingle Ball ‘09 - Florida

This weekend at Jingle Ball ‘09 we helped FCC get about 60 viable leads while significantly improving their image and interacting with our target audience in a way that we rarely find the opportunity.

FCC sponsored the entire stage for Battle of the Bands outside the BAC and had two 10x10 booths (one on Fashion Avenue and one in the College Corner) featuring a RTW tickets and a meet and greet with Flo Rida as well as mini-rocker hairstyles, mini-massages, and mini-makeovers.

Mini-Makeovers

Mini-Massages

Our Meet and Greet Winner, Michaela Paige, of Boca Raton, who is also an amazing recording artist – see her site, www.michaelapaige.com.”

The winning band in the annual Teen Link Battle of the Bands, Spinlight City.

The official Battle of the Bands and Pre-Show stage

Florida Career College

Advertising & Marketing

New deals are getting done to boost marketing businesses

South Florida Business Journal - by Jeff Zbar

Fresh off its advertising and marketing account win of Florida Career College, Green Advertising, Boca Raton, is launching a wide-spread “career corrections” campaign. The concept ties into the trend of people downsized from jobs looking for new careers, and high school grads pursuing specific career opportunities, said Phyllis Green, the agency’s CEO. The incumbent agency had been Lead Advantage in Birmingham, Ala.

The campaign focuses on fast-growing industries, like healthcare and business technology. The client selected Green as “a non-traditional ad agency that could provide us with all the interactive, viral, social networking and TV components plus media buying power, under one roof,” said Bruce Turiansky, FCC’s director of advertising and P.R.

Media includes truck and bus advertising in Tampa. Jacksonville, West Palm Beach and Miami / Fort Lauderdale will follow later this year, said Green, who heads the shop, a division of Pace Advertising, Inc./WPP Group Worldwide.

ORZEL™ VODKA

ORZEL™ VODKA GETS SOCIAL: INTERGRATING SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING AND NETWORKING From Facebook and Twitter to countless interactive elements, OrzelVodka.com is the new wave of Vodka Web sites WESTON, FL (May 11, 2009) – ORZEL Vodka, a luxury vodka like no other on the market, is introducing a new way to communicate with their consumers – social media.          ORZEL has recognized the trend of utilizing social media to capture new consumers and keep existing consumers returning to OrzelVodka.com, and has maximized this opportunity. In addition to their cutting-edge site, ORZEL also utilizes seven different networking sites to stay in contact with consumers: YouTube, Facebook, MySpace, flickr, twitter, Ning and netvibes.          “We have designed our Web site to be a completely interactive site,” said Francisco Tonarely, CEO of Heritage Brands and ORZEL Vodka. “It is more than the typical point and click sites. OrzelVodka.com engages the viewers by having them participate in games, live chat sessions and more. By subscribing to ORZEL’s social networking sites, viewers will receive up-to-date information on all upcoming ORZEL promotions and events. It’s our way of keeping our consumers in the know and in touch on a regular basis.”          The ORZEL Web site is broken down into five categories: Mix, Life, Scene, Play and Discover. The Mix section includes recipes for all adults to try. Life provides an overview on the history of ORZEL, along with the distilling process. Guests can view all of ORZEL’s event photos, news clips and upcoming contests in the Scene section. This is also where links to ORZEL’s social networking sites can be found.          One of the most unique elements of OrzelVodka.com is the Play section. This is where viewers can engage in games such as Eagle Eye, a memory game, and Mixologist, where viewers can create their own ORZEL cocktail recipes. The Discover section on the Web site offers contact information, as well as a listing of local restaurants and bars where ORZEL is available, and other useful links.        “In this ever-changing industry, it is important to remain top of mind,” said Courtlandt McQuire, President & Creative Director of Green Advertising. “To accomplish this, you must not only evolve with technology, but integrate new concepts. ORZEL Vodka is on the forefront of this new technological wave, and has incorporated social networking into its marketing and promotional plans.”          Heritage Brands, Inc., responsible for bringing ORZEL Vodka to America, is headquartered in South Florida and located at 2500 Weston Road, Suite 313, Weston, Florida. For more information about the brand and the creators, please visit www.heritagebrandsinc.com, www.OrzelVodka.com or call 954-659-7701.

Florida Career College

GREEN ADVERTISING GOES BACK TO SCHOOL
WITH FLORIDA CAREER COLLEGE

Boca Raton, FL April 3, 2009 With a 25-year successful track record of providing educational courses and hands-on training for Florida’s fastest growing industries, Florida Career College has now taken its own course correction in selecting Green Advertising as agency of record, to handle all advertising and marketing initiatives.

Florida Career College, with its eighth campus soon to open in Jacksonville, is aggressively marketing its educational programs in Allied Healthcare, business technology and other proven job careers, that offer opportunities in this challenging economy.
Green Advertising is spearheading all interactive marketing, media planning, creative strategy, and a new exciting website with an intuitive CMS system. The architecture of the CMS empowers FCC to control and manage their website while continually generating ‘fresh’ content that drives people back to the site.

In selecting Green, Bruce Turiansky, Director of Advertising and Public Relations for FCC said,” We needed a non-traditional ad agency that could provide us with all the interactive, viral, social networking and TV components plus media buying power, under one roof. With Green we found the right marketing partner who could create, produce and edit TV spots in their state-of-the-art in-house edit suite. With plans for an ever-increasing number of direct response TV spots scheduled for five specific markets, this was a huge factor in our decision.”

Turiansky added , “Green’s creative and media resources are cutting edge as well, for targeted direct mail, outdoor, radio, and most importantly, tracking methodology and analytics to determine cost per lead per media.”

Driving potential college candidates to www.TheCollegeThatCares.com is a major focus, reaching out to both new high school graduates and the vast number of adults in the state who may be unemployed, or concerned about their career future, and are looking for a new career direction.

For Immediate Release

Contact: Phyllis Green

561.989.9550 ext.223

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