HAMMOND | Part of the base for the new Horseshoe casino floated into Hammond marina this week, ahead of the start of construction on the $485-million renovated riverboat expected to open in summer 2008.

The rectangular module had been parked just outside while workers finished dredging the marina, Horseshoe General Manager Rick Mazer said.

He watched on Monday as the module was pushed into the waterway.

Over time, the weight of the module will force it deeper into the water. "It's fascinating," Mazer said.

The first-to-arrive piece is one of six built over the winter at three separate shipyards. Over the next few months they'll be joined to form the 320-foot-by-564-foot base of the new casino, designed to look like a floating convention hall.

The new, two-level vessel will house a 108,000-square-foot gambling floor with room for double the number of slot machines and table games on the existing riverboat, which will be retired. An entertainment center with seating for 3,000 will occupy the upper level.

The start of work on the new casino had been delayed over the winter by a frozen Lake Michigan. Workers hope to gain ground now that the weather has warmed, Mazer said.

The other five modules are expected to begin arriving soon from shipyards in Texas, Louisiana and southern Indiana.

Work on the project will continue while Horseshoe parent Harrah's Entertainment Inc. undergoes a pending $17.2 billion buyout by a group including Texas Pacific Group and Apollo Management. The acquisition is subject to regulatory approval by gaming officials in Indiana and other states.