California: Club One Casino plans to reopen in Fresno by the end of July

After being closed for nearly a year and a half, Club One Casino, which had been at its location on Van Ness Avenue next to the Radisson Hotel in Downtown Fresno for more than 25 years, will be moving into the space formerly occupied by Club Imperio nightclub at Granite Park in Fresno, California.

Renovations are currently underway in the stage area for a temporary space for a cardroom to allow space for 25 card tables, a bar, and a dining area. The temporary card room space will cover about 13,000 square feet, and once renovations to the entire building are completed, the card room will be moved, and temporary space will be converted to a restaurant and event center, as reported by The Business Journal.

Kyle Kirkland, owner of Club One Casino said that he is eager to open up the cardroom after being shut down for nearly 16 months, get people back to work, and generate some tax revenue for the city. He said they are planning to open around the end of July.

Kirkland stated: “We came in and said ‘the whole building is 33,000 square feet, we have AC, we have power, we have plumbing, we have a kitchen, we can figure out how to get the cardroom in here temporarily, and build out the rest of the building, and ultimately move the cardroom in there."

Renovations for the new location began in late February. Once the entire building is renovated, Kirkland hopes to have 51 card tables at Club One.

Kirkland said Club One is in the process of purchasing the building and that there is an option to buy the empty dirt lot behind it. It could be used for a hotel or extra parking, but there are no plans yet. The cost to complete the renovations for the entire building, and with the land options, is about $10 to $12 million.

“The key for us is to get up and going, get people back to work, and start paying the city again. We didn’t expect to be closed for about 16 months,” Kirkland said.

The outside façade of the building is also being renovated, along with an outside patio area that will have a bar feature, tables, and screens to watch sports events. Outside dining areas in the new location are an advantage over the downtown space, Kirkland said.

Kirkland said that the cardroom will bring more economic activity to the area, as well as provide security, which is encouraging to the surrounding businesses. The cardroom will be trying to start its opening with about 200 employees.