During renovation of the Grand Victoria Casino (GVC) riverboat in Elgin, Illinois, owners hit the jackpot after the coating systems for exterior metalwork and decking were shuffled to accommodate long-lasting polyurethane and fluoropolymer technology from Tnemec.

“After 20 years in service, the riverboat was in need of a makeover,” explained Erik Otten, coating consultant with Taylor Coating Sales. “The exterior painted decking and metalwork required yearly maintenance and the owners desired a longer-lasting coating system.”

A thick buildup of old paint and the location of the casino over a waterway presented challenges for Otten and the coating contractor when it came to surface preparation and their coating selection. The owners also required the casino to remain fully functional throughout the recoating project. General surface preparation consisted of power washing and SSPC-SP 2 Hand Tool Cleaning to remove loose rust, scale and deteriorated coatings and obtain a sound rusted surface. Some deck surfaces were prepared in accordance with SSPC-SP 6/NACE No. 3 Commercial Blast Cleaning.

Jeff Myers anchors this look at the Elgin Grand Victoria River Boat launch along with coverage dating back to the infancy of the project to what would become a thriving casino enterprise in.

• Grand Victoria Casino is a stationary boat Casino in Elgin, Illinois and is open daily 8:30am-6:30am. The casino's 29,850 square foot gaming space features 1,088 gaming machines and forty-two table games. The property has three restaurants, one bar and a hotel with 201 rooms.
• Grand Victoria Casino & Resort Rising Sun, IN. Square Footage of Present Vessel: 62,600 sq. Ft: Commencement of Full-time Gaming Permanent Boat Opening Permanent Pavilion Opening: October 4, 1996 October 4, 1996 July 25, 1997: Size of Pavilion and Amenities: 125,000 sq. 1 Restaurant 1 Restaurant w/bar 1 Lounge w/bar 1 Snack Bar: Capacity.
• The Grand Victoria Casino Elgin is a riverboat casino in Elgin, Illinois, United States, located about 40 mi (64 km) west of Chicago. It is owned and operated by Eldorado Resorts.

Grand Victoria Casino Boat Tours

“Special care had to be taken to avoid getting paint in the waterway,” Otten recalled. “Field testing determined that the buildup of old coatings was too thick to use traditional solvent-based tie coats. We had to come up with a coating system that would be compatible and offer less stress with the existing coatings, while allowing us to use polyurethane and fluoropolymer finish coats.”

Several test patches were prepared using Series 118 Uni-Bond Mastic, a single component, mastic waterborne acrylic coating for use on minimally prepared painted steel. The coating was spray-applied as a full intermediate tie coat on metal surfaces.

High-visibility areas received a topcoat of Series 1070V Fluoronar, a low volatile organic compound (VOC) fluoropolymer coating that offers outstanding color and gloss retention. Low-visibility areas received a finish coat of Series 1074 Endura-Shield II, an aliphatic acrylic polyurethane coating that is highly resistant to abrasion, wet conditions and exterior weathering.

Decks received two coats of Series N69 Hi-Build Epoxoline II, an advanced generation epoxy with excellent resistance to abrasion, and a topcoat of Series 290 CRU, an extremely hard urethane coating infused with Series 211 Glass Beads for enhanced slip resistance.

Located on the Fox River, GVC offers more than 1,100 slot machines, live entertainment, and a selection of gaming and dining options. In 2013, GVC completed a $4 million renovation of its gaming area in preparation for its 20th anniversary celebration in 2014.

ELGIN, Ill. (STMW) – The reported rape of a 15-year-old girl that occurred inside a men’s restroom at an Elgin casino in the middle of a Saturday afternoon began with an off-the-cuff pact to commit an act of prostitution, according to police reports and a court document that quote alleged statements from both the victim and the accused offender.

Family members told police the incident began about 2 p.m. Saturday when a mother dropped off her 15-year-old daughter and one of the teenager’s friends at the Clock Tower Plaza shopping center, on National Street across the street from the northwest suburban casino. The mother said she understood that the daughter’s friend was going to get a manicure at a nail-care business in the shopping center.

The police report lists an Elgin address for the mother and daughter. But the 15-year-old later told police that the family is homeless when they can’t find friends to stay with. She said they need money desperately.

Grand Victoria Casino Boat Pictures

While the girl’s friend was getting the manicure, the 15-year-old told police, she wandered around the back of the shopping center and was approached by 32-year-old Christopher A. Turner of Chicago. They talked and Turner offered her money — he told officers $20, the girl told officers $50 according to reports — if she would let him perform a sex act on her.

Needing some more private place to engage in that act, the two told police, they went across the street to the casino pavilion. Police report that a security surveillance video recorded them going into the big, often-busy main-floor men’s restroom at 2:19 p.m. together.

Because it is in the casino’s pavilion rather than on the riverboat itself, people entering the restroom involved do not have to prove that they are over 21, as they would if they passed casino guards on their way to gamble aboard the boat.

Once inside the restroom, the two told police, they entered a toilet stall near the far end of the restroom and proceeded to engage in an oral sex act. But, Turner allegedly told police, he became so aroused by this that he couldn’t stop himself. He allegedly confessed that he pushed her to the floor of the stall and raped her while she was telling him “no” several times.

Police reports do not mention whether anyone else was in the restroom at the time.

Grand Victoria Casino Buffet Coupons

Police said the surveillance video shows the girl leaving the men’s room at about 2:30, followed quickly by Turner.

Grand Victoria Casino Boat Prices

Witnesses reported that both of them returned to the Watch Tower Plaza parking lot.

By this time the girl’s mother had returned to pick her up. The girl told her mother what had happened and pointed out Turner.

A man in the area who police described as “a good Samaritan” grabbed Turner and held onto him until they could get the attention of a police officer who was sitting in his patrol car in the shopping center parking lot.

That patrolman said he had to handcuff Turner and lock him into the back seat of his squad car because a crowd of angry people soon had assembled and the officer was afraid that mob would attack the suspect.

The girl was taken by ambulance to Provena Saint Joseph Hospital, where she was treated and questioned.

Grand Victoria Casino Buffet Hours

Turner was charged with a Class X felony count of aggravated criminal sexual assault plus felony counts of criminal sexual assault, aggravated criminal sexual abuse and unlawful restraint. On Monday a judge set his bail at $400,000. He was being held in the Kane County jail pending a July 6 court hearing.

Grand Victoria officials did not return calls Thursday asking for comment.

Grand Victoria Casino Boat Elgin

© Sun-Times Media Wire Chicago Sun-Times 2012. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.