Wind Creek Wetumpka, a luxury casino and hotel development built on the banks of the Coosa River, will open its doors to the public for the first time Tuesday, Dec. 17, according to a press release from the Poarch Band of Creek Indians.

An official “ribbon cutting” ceremony is scheduled for 11:30AM. The project is owned by the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, and managed by PCI Gaming Authority.

“The opening of Wind Creek Wetumpka is a new beginning in many ways,” said PCI Tribal Chairman Buford Rolin. “Not only are we opening the doors of a beautiful new property, but a lot of our Tribal members and neighbors in the area are starting new jobs there that will support their families and allow them to send their children to college. We, as a Tribe, are tremendously proud to be able to provide both a lovely new attraction for visitors to our State and jobs in the region.”

Wind Creek Wetumpka is a 20-story, deluxe hotel and casino that features 283 rooms (each with a river view), 85,000 feet of gaming space, 2,520 electronic gaming machines, and a 16,000 gallon shark tank at the casino’s bar. The property also boasts five restaurants, including the Fire, a premium steakhouse and “northern sister” of Wind Creek Atmore’s Fire restaurant.

Construction on the development began in May 2012. Over 18 months, more than 800 workers contributed an estimated 1.4 million man-hours to the project. Payroll during this period exceeded $100 million.

Wind Creek Wetumpka’s hotel will begin opening floors in phases starting on Tuesday. It is slated to be completely open by mid-February.