HARRISBURG -- Pittsburgh casino builder Don Barden still can't say when he'll complete the $780 million refinancing for his Majestic Star casino, but says construction is on schedule and the slots parlor will open on the North Shore in mid to late May 2009.

Mr. Barden appeared today before the state Gaming Control Board for an update on the project refinancing that's being handled by Credit Suisse. When it is complete, he must again appear before the board for its approval of the loan.

The board would like that to happen as soon as possible. Mr. Barden said today that his financial advisors, lawyers and accountants are working hard on "thousands and thousands of pages of documents'' but isn't sure yet if he'll be back at the board's next meeting in July for the necessary approval.

He said that several hundred construction workers are working feverishly on the project, for which about 70 percent of the structural steel is complete. The casino is expected to employ at least 900 permanent workers when it is open.

Mr. Barden got his stand-alone casino license from the board in December 2006, but applications to lenders for the financing were delayed for several months by legal challenges from the two losing license applicants and other legal contests over traffic by the Steelers and Pirates. Construction of the casino finally began last December.

The financial markets "collapsed last July,'' making it more expensive to borrow the millions of dollars needed for the project, Mr. Barden said. He has a $200 million bridge loan that enabled him to get construction started that will be paid off once the $780 million in refinancing is completed.

Mr. Barden said he is trying to get the casino open on time -- next May -- so the state can begin to get its millions in tax revenue for property tax relief, economic development and aid to the horse-racing industry.