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CEDAR RAPIDS — Leaders of the Cedar Crossing Casino & Entertainment Center hope to draw people to the gaming facility from across the state of Iowa — starting with the construction crews.

Work on the $275 million project began this spring in northwest Cedar Rapids, and the site is now abuzz with activity as droves of construction workers traverse the site garbed in brightly colored neon vests and hard hats.

The site is close to home for many of those workers, and project leaders say that’s by design: Of the more than $40 million in contracts awarded for the project so far, 96 percent have gone to Iowa companies.

“Our philosophy in a lot of the markets we go into is we want to be part of the

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