Jeffrey Soffer Pitches 163,000-Square-Foot Casino Overhaul in Hallandale Beach
Jeffrey Soffer plans a 163,000-square-foot casino redevelopment to replace the Big Easy Casino in Hallandale Beach, pending a city waiver.Summary
Billionaire developer Jeffrey Soffer, who leads Aventura-based Fontainebleau Development, is pursuing a major redevelopment of the aging Big Easy Casino in Hallandale Beach into a 163,000-square-foot gambling and entertainment destination, according to casino.org and The Real Deal. The plan replaces the Big Easy Casino and a former greyhound track at 831 North Federal Highway with dining space of 34,344 square feet, bars totaling 11,205 square feet, a live entertainment venue, a smoking lounge, a card room, a steakhouse, a sports restaurant, administrative offices, and an 818-space parking garage within 1,707 total spaces, designed by Las Vegas-based Steelman Partners. Soffer bought the property in 2018 for $12.5 million when it was Mardi Gras Casino and Race Track, ended greyhound racing, and rebranded it; the existing 262,900-square-foot building sits on 23.8 acres, of which he sold 12.3 acres to Kadima Developers last year while keeping the rest. The Hallandale Beach City Commission will consider a waiver on October 13 to allow a larger-than-permitted plat, which would let Soffer seek plat approval and submit a site plan. This follows his failed attempt to move his gambling permit to the Fontainebleau Miami Beach, which was blocked by city officials and residents despite $300,000 in political contributions. The property's fate now rests with the city, amid broader South Florida casino-adjacent development such as The Pomp in Pompano Beach.
(Source：Hoodline)