Travel
You’ll find it inside a 20th century mall.
Feeling lucky? A new casino will debut inside a Rochester, New Hampshire mall this week.
Lilac Club Casino, with more than 200 gaming machines, table games, a poker room, and a restaurant, opens on Friday. The project aims to turn Lilac Mall, which first opened in 1979, into a mixed-use retail and entertainment destination.
“We’re bringing a whole new gaming experience and non-stop excitement to Rochester, NH,” wrote officials on Facebook this week.
The 38,000 square-foot space, designed by Chicago-based architectural firm DMAC Architecture & Interiors, will offer slot machines, blackjack, roulette, and a 12-table poker room. There is a separate smoking section for gaming as well.
The casino’s design blends classic and contemporary, according to the company.
“Every space, from the gaming floors to the dining areas was thoughtfully designed to encourage social interaction, bringing excitement and energy,” said Dwayne MacEwen of DMAC Architecture & Interiors, in a statement. “Inspired by the mall’s heritage, DMAC wove in visual elements that acknowledge the history of the space, blending the past with modern entertainment.”
The casino’s exterior features a 144-foot metal mesh soffit with a zig zag “inspired by the familiar memory of stacked shopping carts,” according to the team, along with a granite wall honoring the Granite State. Inside, guests will find a suspended 93-foot wood ceiling oval over the table games and a custom carpet with a purple floral pattern referencing “the mall’s storied identity.” The event room, great for private parties, is inspired by America’s classic bingo tradition.
In a nod to the mall’s history, a curated collection of bronze sculptures — a stag, fox, and two mice in modern eyewear — stand in the entryway to the poker room, a reference to a former mall eyewear business. The entry to the restroom features suspended mannequins set against reflective mirrors, described as “a tongue-in-cheek animation of decommissioned retail relics with a playful twist.”
A 34-seat bar connects the gaming area and the casino’s restaurant, Lucky Oak Bar & Grill. The restaurant, featuring a ceiling trellis and tree, will serve classic comfort food such as burgers, steak, and pasta, as well as craft cocktails and New Hampshire beers daily between 9 a.m. and 1 a.m. Patrons can get breakfast items all day and order from a gaming menu with a selection of late night bites such as tacos, calamari, and skillet mac and cheese.
Other businesses at the mall include Papa Gino’s, Ocean State Job Lot, Dollar Tree, and more.
The casino will employ 80 people and the company expects to contribute an estimated $3 million each year to 73 nonprofit organizations in Rochester, according to the company.
Lilac Club Casino’s hours are Sunday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 1 a.m. and Friday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 a.m.
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