There really is a whole lotta work goin’ on in Deadwood these days. Two major construction projects are starting to take shape. Yesterday, I told you about the Lodge at Deadwood. The other, more visible project is the Deadwood Mountain Grand Resort.

It’s an interesting project for a few reasons. First of all, the developers are turning a long-suffering, but historic, old mining building into an entertainment venue just a few blocks from Deadwood’s Main Street.

The building, saddled for years with the unfortunate moniker “the Slime Plant,” is pretty rundown. The sheet metal exterior has seen better days. Windows are busted out. The foundation was giving way to the forces of nature. And it had that ghost town look that seemed incongruous to all the sleek casinos and carefully restored buildings just down the hill.

But developer Tom Conrad and his partners saw past all that. They are spending as much as $40 million to restore, remodel, rehabilitate and, fortunately, rename the old Slime Plant. It will have a look that reflects the mining history of Deadwood and Lead, but it will have a whole new use.

Plans call for an upscale 100-room hotel behind the historic building, a creekside restaurant, an indoor-outdoor bar with a view of the downtown historic district and a multi-level parking structure.

What’s getting the most attention, however, is the Deadwood Mountain Grand’s entertainment complex. It will seat up to 2,500 people and have room for music shows, conventions, car shows and other events.

Among the investors in Deadwood Mountain Grand Resort is Big Kenny Alphin of Big & Rich. (“Deadwood Mountain” is one of the better-known Big & Rich tunes.) Others include Dale Morris of the William Morris Agency, and music promoter/producer Marc Oswald. They should have little trouble booking bands.

Work was going strong this spring, but paused recently so the developers could work out some exterior design issues with the city. They hope to open in July 2009.