It is often said that the only constant in life is change. In the world of economic development, it is a good day when change means that a new business is coming to town — and it is always a sad day when we see one leave. This weekend marks the final days for Isle of Capri Casino Natchez. Today, the doors will close for the final time.

Opening in 1993 as Lady Luck and purchased by the Isle of Capri in 2000, the iconic image on the river is the oldest continuously operating riverboat in Mississippi. The casino was built at a time when people knew little about making a career in gaming or what the casino could bring to our community.

All these years later, I can say that the Isle of Capri Casino has created lifelong careers for many and played an active role in our community. At the time of its closure, 240 people are employed with 38 percent of the employees having been with the company for more than 10 years and 9 percent have been there since it opened.

For more than two decades, the casino has proven to be a dedicated community partner contributing to causes and organizations such as the Natchez Literary and Cinema Celebration, the Fourth of July fireworks displays, the Natchez Festival of Music, Habitat for Humanity, the American Red Cross and the United Way of the Greater Miss-Lou where it received the United Way Gold Award for continued support. It has participated in the downtown development beautification projects and the Christmas Tree Fund.

The Isle and its employees contributed to the Preservation of Ellicott Hill, the Natchez Bluff Blues Festival, Relay for Life, American Heart Association Heart Walk, National Coalition of 100 Black Women Natchez Chapter and the Great Mississippi River Balloon Race. The Isle has provided Christmas gifts and gifts card to local families in need through a variety of agencies and fundraisers, donated holiday turkeys and hams to the Natchez Stewpot and Guardian Shelter for battered women and provided personal hygiene supplies for care packages which are sent to our military overseas.

Through the years, the Isle purchased new scoreboards at the Natchez baseball fields, supported the Natchez Children’s Home, made improvements to the Madison Street Park playground through the City of Natchez’s recreation department, purchased a metal detector for the Natchez-Adams School District, provided clothing, shoes and holiday food for many children housed at the Guardian Shelter, gave generously to the Salvation Army Angel Tree at Christmas and supported the Boys & Girls Club where it received the Volunteer of the Year Award in 2004 — all of these direct benefits to our children of the Miss-Lou.

For the City of Natchez, the Isle of Capri has provided funding for two drug dogs for the Natchez Police Department, resurfaced the tennis courts at Duncan Park, generously paid for the sidewalks and street lights Under-The-Hill, donated to the Natchez Senior Center, and purchased the barricades which are used in all city parades. It generously showed its support of Natchez’s upcoming 300th birthday in 2016 by purchasing Tricentennial license plates for each of its company owned vehicles.

The Isle of Capri has received numerous awards through the last 20 years such as Business of the Month presented by the Natchez Board of Aldermen, Business of the Year awarded by the Natchez-Adams County Chamber of Commerce, Tourism Partner of the Year by the Historic Natchez Foundation, Seven Seals Award for its commitment to the support of the National Guard and Reserve, the Outstanding Community Support Award presented by the Natchez Black Expo, and the Isle won the United Way Jambalaya Cook-Off winning the Company Spirit Award in 2010, 2011 and 2013. For this — for caring so much about our community and its people — I say thank you to everyone at the Isle of Capri Casino Natchez and Isle of Capri Casinos, Inc.

Thank you for your hard work, dedication and commitment to our city.  As partners in progress and as longtime employers, you will be missed.

 

Larry L. “Butch” Brown is mayor of the City of Natchez. He can be reached by calling 601-445-7555.