CHARENTON — Cypress Bayou Casino Hotel CEO Anthony Patrone announced Thursday the Chitimacha Tribe-run casino will get a $20 million revamp of its interior and exterior for Project Cypress in the upcoming months.

Patrone said the casino will reflect modern beauty with new ceilings, floors, additional rooms, a pool and jacuzzi area and two new restaurants named after influential members of the Chitimacha Tribe in addition to renovating Mr. Lester’s. Seventy percent of the project’s $20 million will be kept in the community using local suppliers, Patrone said.

Café Delphine, named after the last native speaker of the Chitimacha language, Delphine Darden Stouff, will feature high-end dining. The restaurant will be between Loco’s and BoCat’s Oyster Bar. Mabel’s Kitchen also was named after a tribe member, Mabel Darden Vilcan, who was revered in the tribal community for her culinary skills.

“Mr. Lester’s has been here for years, named after a tribal member (Lester Darden), and we just took that idea,” Patrone said.

There are updates to one popular restaurant and another will shut down for more gaming space. Mr. Lester’s will no longer have its porch area, and Eats, located near the entrance, will close.

“Everything you see will all be changed,” Patrone said. “The renovation will have a modern, fresh feel, the same style as the gift shop (Bizzute Gifts). It’s a stark upgrade, a tremendous upgrade.”

All of the new additions’ and renovations’ renderings look sleek, with geometric designs on the floor and pops of bright color and contemporary lighting. The new pool will feature a lazy river and private jacuzzi cabanas. In addition to entertainment and recreational expansions, the hotel itself will boast an additional 55 rooms, totalling 157 after completion. No date is set on when the expansions will be finished.

Tribal Councilman O’Neil Darden said the face lift’s purpose was to maintain the guests and customers and attract new customers.

“The casino is very vital to the tribe,” Darden said. “With the revenue it generates, we are able provide health care fire protection and education for citizens of the Chitimacha.”

The hotel/casino employs 1,000 people, and Patrone praised the tribe’s economic growth for the community.

“I’ve worked with other tribes that have owned casinos. This is a smaller tribe in this part of the country and has a beautiful take on their place here in Acadiana,” Patrone said.

Cypress Bayou Hotel Casino will celebrate its 22nd year in business in two weeks. Parish President-elect David Hanagriff said the parish and Chitimacha tribe have worked in tandem for years, and the expansion is “desperately needed to succeed in the current market.”

“A strong Cypress Bayou Casino means a strong Chitimacha nation, which in turn means a strong St. Mary Parish. Together we will get through this bad economy,” Hanagriff said.