John Hunt grew up in the shadow of the old Showboat casino and got his first hotel job there in the early 1990s, working as a kitchen runner.
Some 30 years later, Hunt is now living at the site of the former resort as one of the first residents of the Showboat Park Apartments.
“I have a deep-seated love for the Showboat; my heart is there,” Hunt said. “The home I grew up in, at Eastern and Oakey, was a five-minute walk.”
The old casino was razed in 2006 and the patch of desert at Fremont and Atlantic streets remained empty until developer Amador “Chi Chi” Bengochea had the vision for Showboat Park.
