Officials with the Poarch Band of Creek Indians plan to look in Brewton and other surrounding areas for employees to staff a multi-million dollar casino and hotel near Atmore.

Florida - Construction of the project is quickly taking shape, changing the once rural setting Atmore was established upon to that of a tourist destination off Exit 57 on Interstate 65.

At 17 stories, Wind Creek Casino & Hotel, whose cost will top $230 million when construction is completed, is just over 90 days away from beginning operations of its 50,000-square-foot gaming floor.

Tim Martin, president and CEO of Creek Indian Enterprises, said he is not too concerned about hitting the January 2009 target date, in fact, construction has gone smoothly and construction costs are under the estimated $250 million originally set. He is, however, uneasy about hiring the required amount of employees to run the highly complex facility.

“One of my biggest fears right now is, do we have an adequate labor force to be able to fill all of the positions that are coming?” he said.

The casino and hotel calls for 172 positions, creating 800 new jobs once the facility is fully operational, according to Martin.

“Right now we have been paying a lot of attention to the upper-level recruitment of people like the director of hotel operations, facilities engineer, those types of positions,” Martin said.

Atmore Mayor Howard Shell said the opportunities for employment offered by the casino and hotel to residents of Atmore and neighboring towns is “a very good thing at a time when the economy is having its struggles.”

Shell added that the new jobs should help boost Atmore’s local economy.

“I believe anytime you provide an opportunity for people to have employment and provide jobs for people that are looking for them is a very good thing,” Shell said. “I think having that many jobs will bring people into the area, which will initiate property sales, homes sales and a lot of other benefits that normally come with jobs,” he said.

The casino will offer jobs ranging from supervisors to game attendants and the hotel will offer various job opportunities including front office, housekeeping, valet, bellhops and room services.

Besides the casino and hotel, there will be numerous other job opportunities inside the facility, which will include a steakhouse, café, buffet, coffee shop, entertainment stage and several lounges.

Those entities will require numerous chefs, short-order cooks, butchers, food preparers, bartenders, host and hostesses, waiters and waitresses and cashiers.

In addition, the four-diamond facility, which will be operational 24 hours a day and will offer three shifts, will require around-the-clock security, maintenance and IT support to ensure the backbone of each operation continues without any down time.

To fill each position, Martin knows he will have to recruit prospects from other cities and has a game plan in store.

“We’re working everyday to advertise that we are going to be holding job fairs,” Martin said. “We know that we have to go out to the local areas, Monroeville, Brewton, Jay, wherever, to fill the jobs.”

In addition, the project site, which encompasses 35-acres, has created nearly 350 construction jobs, according to Creek Indian Enterprises Construction Project Controls Manager James R. Angus, P.E.

Last year, Escambia County worked out an agreement with Poarch for funds Poarch will pay to the county for costs incurrred for law enforcement and other services.

Poarch will pay the county $300,000 over three years, but the county and Poarch officials will review the agreement a year after the hotel and casino go into operation.