Fortune Valley playing a new tune

When Luna Gaming Central City paid $10 million for Fortune Valley Casino last year, one casino competitor dubbed the deal “crazy low.”

What he didn’t know was that a year later, Luna would invest more than $20 million in significant improvements to the place.

The results of that investment were revealed recently, resulting in a spanking new space filled with gaming industry bells and whistles.

What’s still not known (at least not at press time) is whose name will be branded on the place, but the new décor certainly points to a musical entertainment company slapping its name on it.

Every piece of the renovation has a musical stamp, including the Guitar Bar, a 65-foot guitar-shaped bar with 14 slot machines, a state-of-the-art sound system, hotel rooms named after musicians and artists, and high-definition TVs. Visiting celebrities will be asked to sign the bar, with Denver songstress Hazel Miller as the first signer.

“It’s the coolest man cave ever,” said Fortune Valley chief operating officer Dean DiLullo.

Other improvements include new slot machines on both casino levels, $1 million sound system, a new casino cage, new gift shop with a Harley Davidson centerpiece, new hotel front desk, new poker room, two new video poker rooms, the Lava nightclub, a media room for VIPs, and a high-end Italian restaurant called Ardore, Italian for passion as well as the name of the casino owner’s high-end wine.

Fortune Valley owner Tom Celani, who also owns the Red Dolly Casino, is part of the Celani Family Vineyards in the Napa Valley.

All renovations, with the exception of a few rooms, are expected to be completed this month.

“We spent a ton of money to make sure when you first walk in you say, ‘Oh my God!’ DiLullo said.

Main Street sprucing. Central City will be open doing business as usual during a major construction project to build improvements on Main Street through Oct. 3.

“A majority of the project will be concrete brick pavers, new street lights, new benches, and a new clock,” said Kent Kisselman, Central City’s new operations director. “Everything will be replaced within the limits of the buildings.”

Price tag on the project is $198,000 for sewer improvements, and $750,000 for the streetscape. The Blackhawk Central City Sanitation District will foot the tab for the sanitation portion of the project, and a portion of the streetscape improvements will be paid for through the Historic Preservation Funds.

Z expanding. Johnny Z’s, Central City’s newest casino, is expanding west into the Granite Building by August. The casino is slating to add roughly 75 new gaming machines in the expansion.

- Penny Parker is a columnist for The Denver Post. She’s always on the prowl for tidbits and tips from Colorado’s gaming communities. Call her at 303-619-5209 or e-mail pparker@denverpost.com.