13 WTHR - Indianapolis News |Job applicants unfazed by French Lick casino fight

Job applicants unfazed by French Lick casino fight

French Lick - A feud in French Lick pits the owners of the resort and casino against each other, but that's not keeping thousands of people from trying to get much-needed jobs.

"We'll give you a call. Welcome to the team. We are pleased to have you." These are the words everyone said the French Lick Resort Community would bring to Orange County when billionaire Bill Cook and Lauth Property Group of Indianapolis partnered together to dock a Riverboat Casino, remodel the historic French Lick Hotel and ultimately reopen a renovated West Baden Hotel in 2007.

The riverboat casino construction is on time. On Friday, the machines were being moved in. But a dispute has arisen between the partners regarding percentage of ownership which could result in arbitration or litigation.

"My husband and I wanted to raise our children in the country so here we are in Indiana," said Shonda Taylor, job applicant.

A licensed masseuse, Taylor moved all the way from Washington state and she's not going to let a dispute at the top stop her. "We all have issues of our own and I have five children. That is my concern," she said.

"I think I may be hired. I'm not sure," said Bill Hastings, job applicant. He made the trek over from Mitchell, Indiana hoping to be one of the 300 hired Friday. Hastings is not concerned. "Cook wants to do everything top of the line. Lauth maybe is going economy model. I think either way we will end up with a nice casino," he said.

With 1,700 more jobs for Orange County. Project General Manager Scott Spurlock says the Casino and the French Lick Hotel will be open the first week in November. "We had 380 applicants and the doors have been open for three hours. We are on pace. Actually we could do another 1,200 applicants if we were to maintain this pace and we still have a day and a half left," he said.

No matter how long the ownership dispute drags out it will not effect the opening days. The Casino and the French Lick Hotel will be open the first week in November. The neighboring West Baden Hotel will open in April of 2007. Meantime, after 18 years of waiting, the job applicants don't care who signs their check - just as long as it has their name on it.

French Lick restoration