The Cowlitz Indian Tribe and its partner the Mohegan Tribe announced on Monday the name of their jointly developed casino resort in La Center, Washington. The venue will be called ilani, which means ‘to sing’ in native Cowlitz.
The whole casino resort would spread over 368,000 square feet of land, with the casino level taking up 275,000 square feet. Apart from the gaming floor, the complex would also feature 15 different facilities, including a restaurant and a bar, retail space, and various entertainment amenities. An event center with capacity to seat as many as 2,500 people would also be part of the casino resort. No hotel will be added at first but one may be considered at a later stage.
As for the gaming floor itself, it would be a 100,000-square-foot one and would feature 2,500 slot machines, 60 high-limit gaming machines, 75 regular gaming tables, and 5 high-limit ones.
It has formerly been announced that the amount of $510 million is to be spent on the venue’s construction. The ilani casino resort is slated to open doors in the spring of 2017. The complex is to create more than 1,000 permanent jobs, with some of those already being taken. Job fairs will be held later in the summer.
When asked about more details on the project, General Manager Kara Fox-LaRose told local media that they are determined to develop something that has never been seen in the Washington gambling market. Ms. LaRose further pointed out that they will not be targeting only gambling customers.
First talks about the construction of a casino in La Center, Washington emerged more than a decade ago. It was announced late last year that the Cowlitz Tribe had entered into a partnership with the Mohegan Tribe, under the terms of which the latter tribe agreed to partially finance the venue’s construction.
The multi-million-dollar project was staunchly opposed by local authorities as it was believed that the Cowlitz Tribe had been wrongly granted reservation land by the federal government. The matter was brought to court and the tribe prevailed in the long-standing lawsuit. Opponents, however, appealed the court decision and a final ruling is expected to be issued this summer.
The casino project was also opposed by residents and officials of Washington’s Clark County. Concerns were voiced that the gambling venue will result in increased traffic in the area as well as in growth in crime rate in a region that is known for its quiet character.
