Yesterday, the Jamul Indian Village and gaming operator Penn National Gaming announced that the excavation phase of their project for an Indian casino, situated on the territory of the village and not far from San Diego, has been completed. However, the $360-million gambling venue has been legally challenged by residents of the neighboring areas.
As it was announced, construction workers dug out 452,000 tons of soil and rock. The casino is expected to have three stories and it will also feature a subterranean parking lot.
Richard Tellow, a member of the tribe’s council, shared that they all are really excited. He stated that the tribe has been working on this project for more than 20 years.
Representatives of the tribe also said that the 200,000 square-foot casino will definitely boost the economy and will create at least 1,000 permanent jobs.
Raymond Hunter, chairman of the Kumeyaay Nation of Southern California, commented on the completion of this first phase of the project as being both scary and exciting.
The casino is expected to open doors for visitors some time in the middle of 2016. Developers promised that the venue, which is to be located not far from Route 94, will feature over 1,700 slot machines, 50 gaming tables, and various restaurants, bars, and entertainment facilities.
As the construction process enters its second phase, a wide number of residents of its neighboring areas are complaining about the project. For instance, two one-time members of the tribe took developers to court. They claimed that the mortal remains of their forefathers were ruthlessly dug out and moved away.
According to another lawsuit, the construction of the tribal casino will have a detrimental effect on local environment and more particularly on a nearby preserve.
A third lawsuit argues that the land where the property is to be located does not belong to the tribe and therefore, it does not have the legal right to operate the future casino.
Developers have won the first two lawsuits and they believe that the U.S. Supreme Court will also rule in their favor in case of appeal.
Glenn Revell, president of the Jamul Action Committee, stated that if the casino developers prevail in court, they will be ahead of their building schedule. If, however, their opponents prevail, the Indian tribe will have “a very expensive hole in the ground.”
Penn National Gaming was accused of not following the respective protocol and violating the California Environmental Quality Act. Jay Snowden, COO of the developer, however, pointed out that they are planning to apply different eco-friendly approaches while building the casino.
Mr. Snowden also shared that they will invest $15 million to improve the quality of state Route 94.
