Gray Wolf Peak Casino

Introduction

The Gray Wolf Peak Casino is a premier gaming and hospitality destination—and a leading, regional employer—located in Missoula, Montana that was built with speed and longevity in mind.

When the the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Indian Reservation decided to embark upon building the $27.4 million, 34,000 square foot facility casino, they aimed to move with speed to bring the destination to fruition. However, they also sought to create a facility with longevity to withstand the high foot traffic and constant demands of the large, steady crowds that would be drawn from the region and nearby Interstate 90. Completed in December 2016 as a modern attraction that far exceeded the size and features of a previous, smaller casino in the area, Gray Wolf Peak Casino has proven itself as a gaming destination designed with materials built to last—including Crossville tile collections.

The  Story

Construction on this ambitious project began in early 2016 and was to be completed in about nine months, an accelerated schedule to say the least. Under an extremely tight time frame, Torin Dixon of The Masonry Center, supplier of surfacing materials, recommended Crossville’s SpeakEasy collection in the Silver Screen color as an alternate specification for the main floor entrance flooring. Upon review of samples, the architect deemed this creative solution as an answer to design requirements that would be readily available for installation. As the team had already faced numerous construction delays, it was essential that the flooring of the casino be installed without any problems.

Dixon explains, “As with most construction projects, delays are inevitable, and we had a hard and fast approaching ribbon cutting date for the gaming facility. I submitted samples of Crossville’s selection to the architect as alternate specs to the materials originally selected, and the products were spot on for our final installation.”

Crossville’s SpeakEasy collection for the main floor entrance, as it provided the desired look as well as superior, lasting technical performance. In such a high traffic area, SpeakEasy provides a warm, welcoming look and lasting durability, yet is easy to clean and maintain—even during the cold, wet winter months in Montana.

The installation professionals opted for a traditional thinset method over Schluter Ditra uncoupling membrane. They used Progress Profiles leveling system extensively to help expedite the installation under an extremely compressed deadline.

For the columns and walls in the bar areas, Dixon recommended the Oxide collection in the Perla and Nero colors from Crossville Porcelain Tile Panels by Laminam. With their lean profiles and installation versatility, these porcelain panels capitalize on the appeal of a nearly seamless look with fewer grout lines and could be installed efficiently to keep help keep the project timing on track.