Although Friday morning's ceremonial groundbreaking for Cincinnati's $400 million casino is invitation-only, you can still celebrate the event – and give input as well.

Bridging Broadway, a non-profit dedicated to maximizing the casino's effect on the surrounding neighborhoods, will be holding a community celebration and fundraiser Friday evening from 6 P.M. to 9 P.M. at The Drinkery, in Over-the-Rhine.

A suggested donation of $5 gets you a drink ticket, free appetizers, and a chance to win raffle prizes from local businesses.

Bridging Broadway is in the midst of a six-month district study of the economics, social issues, transportation, and urban design issues within an approximately half-mile radius around the , funded by the City and conducted with the assistance of Bridging Broadway and City staff, volunteers from the University of Cincinnati Community Design Center, and the Local Initiatives Support Corporation of Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky.

It plans to hold its third of three public visioning sessions in early March.

The first construction bids for the 350,000-square-foot casino are expected to go out next month, with project completion scheduled for late 2012.

The development is expected to generate nearly $520 million in annual gaming activity, create 2,100 jobs, and bring more than six million annual visitors Downtown.

Previous reading on BC:
Casino groundbreaking Feb. 4; Visioning continues (1/24/11)
Bridging Broadway outreach continues Saturday (1/20/11)
Casino-area study will begin September 1 (8/19/10)
Harrah's selected as minority partner, operator of Cincinnati casino (8/16/10)
Bridging Broadway steps in to address casino issues (8/2/10)