Renamed Funner, California for a reason, Valley Center is home to the Harrah’s SoCal Resort where W.E. O’Neil built Tower II with 21 stories and 402 keys.
Rincon Band of Luiseno Indians
19 Months
407,000 SF, 402-keys
CMAR
W.E. O’Neil has enjoyed a long and mutually beneficial relationship with the Rincon Band of Luiseno Indians in Valley Center, California. Phase VII is the second 21-story hotel tower W.E. O’Neil had the honor of building on the Harrah’s Southern California Resort property in Valley Center. The first tower was built in 2004. This new tower connects to the existing tower, and like the first, it has 402 keys, bringing the total room count to 1,065. The new tower’s interior features high-end modern finishes which were completed on an aggressive, fast-paced schedule.
The roofline of the new tower features a large “swooping” architectural screen wall that is 38′ tall at its highest point. The building’s exterior is constructed of panelized curtainwall and EIFS. The tower’s post-tensioned concrete structure was completed on a one-floor-per-week schedule from level three to the top. Each floor consisted of two concrete placements—there was a placement every three days from March 23 until August 14 when the structure was topped out. Impressively, the project team did not miss a single concrete placement date.
The fire-life safety infrastructure, including the mechanical smoke control system of the new tower, was combined with the existing building’s system, effectively turning the two towers into one building.
The fun doesn’t stop there though – in addition to the new tower, a new 45,000 SF ballroom facility was constructed along with 50,000 SF of renovation work to the existing casino facility and new retail shops.
