As reported by: NWAnews
When New Orleans' levees surrendered to Katrina's floodwaters a year and a half ago, familiar places in that city were cast in strange, even bizarre, roles.

The Louisiana Superdome, home of football's New Orleans Saints, was turned into a squalid refuge. So was the city's Convention Center.

And the city's major casino, an ornate temple of chance bearing the Harrah's globe and stars, was transformed into a staging area for first responders, police and the National Guard. In a sense, the casino became the command post for the battle to reclaim the city.

Although some progress has been made, New Orleans' recovery, including that of its tourism infrastructure, is far from complete. However, Harrah's casino is one tourist attraction that has fully recovered. And with the opening of a 450-room hotel tower, the casino complex actually has a more robust range of visitor offerings than it did before the hurricane.

That the Harrah's casino would emerge as an economic anchor is an unusual turn, to say the least. In New Orleans, Harrah's has had what even company CEO Gary Loveman has called a “difficult history.” From the mid-1990 s through the early part of this decade, a temporary and the current permanent casino struggled badly. Eventually, the state had to approve massive tax relief for the business to survive.


Article By: NWAnews