ALTOONA, Iowa — Legislation attempts, regulation blocks and now it’s construction time for Linn County, Cedar Rapids, and Peninsula Pacific Entertainment.

On Thursday morning the members of the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission met to consider plans for the Cedar Crossing Casino & Entertainment Center.

In a vote of 4 to 1, the commission approved the $275 million proposal and Linn County can move forward with the construction. The vote comes after some Iowa lawmakers attempted to pass a five-year moratorium to prevent the commission from handing out licenses.

“They did talk about all of the benefits of this project and how they truly outweigh a negative or two. And I couldn’t agree more. And I can’t say enough about the work of these commissioners and how appreciative we are,” said Cedar Rapids Mayor Tiffany O’Donnell. “They took all of the worry that it would be a political decision out of it.”

There is a groundbreaking planned for Friday, February 7 at 11 a.m. in Cedar Rapids. A day that has been asked by for the voters of Linn County for more than a decade.

The casino must be completed by October of 2027 or fines will be given by the IRGC.