Cowlitz Indian Tribe officials announced that they had reached an agreement with the Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority, under the terms of which the latter is to fund the former’s project for the establishment of a $550-million casino resort on reservation land not far from La Center, Washington.
Rober Soper, President and CEO of the Cowlitz Tribal Gaming Authority, said that they are extremely excited to have the issue with the construction financing closed. The official also explained that now the tribe and the authority will be able to proceed with the development of the multi-million-dollar facility, which is expected to turn into one of the finest and most profitable resorts in the Pacific Northwest.
The venue will be built and rolled out in four phases. The first one will include the construction of a 67,000-square-foot casino with food and beverage, and other exciting options. When fully completed, the hotel and casino resort would feature a gaming area occupying a total of 152,000 square feet, as many as 424 hotel rooms, food and beverage as well as retail options, a gas station, tribal administration offices, showrooms, and many more.
Construction work is scheduled to commence in 2016 and Phase One of the project is to be completed and launched sometime in 2017.
The Cowlitz Indian Tribe was recognized in 2000. Ten years later, the Bureau of Indian Affairs gave the nod to the application to take a 152-acre portion of land near La Center into trust so as for the tribe to be able to establish a new reservation.
The specially established Cowlitz Tribal Gaming Authority then signed a partnership agreement with Salishan-Mohegan LLC for the construction and the operation of the $550-million hotel and casino resort. Salishan-Mohegan is a Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority Subsidiary, and under the terms of the deal, it will take a key role in both the development and the management of the new gambling venue.
The Cowlitz Tribe’s announcement that it would build a casino on the 152-acre portion of land near La Center was not welcomed by residents and officials from the area. Their discontent resulted in several legal proceedings against the casino project. Opponents of the multi-million-dollar plan argued that the tribe’s ties to the area were quite questionable. They also pointed out that tribal officials were interested in the said property only because of its close proximity to the City of Portland.
Late in 2014, a District Court Judge dismissed the lawsuit against the Cowlitz Tribe. A group of opponents then appealed the ruling. Brent Boger, an attorney for the group, said that the provision of gaming options at the property may not be allowed at all and the appeal may eventually be successful.
