PITTSBURGH, Pa. -- The developer of Pittsburgh’s new casino has set May 1, 2009, as the date for the grand opening of the city’s first slots parlor.

Last month, crews broke ground at the North Shore site, beginning the construction on the $450 million casino after nearly a year of delays.

Workers are on a very tight schedule to get the casino ready to open in just 16 months.

The facility will open with 3,000 slot machines before expanding to as many as 5,000.