The Tohono O’odham Nation of Arizona broke ground last week on its $400 million permanent casino, the successor to the interim Desert Diamond West Valley Casino that opened two years ago after years of controversy.
Tribal Chairman Edward Manuel declared, “This facility will provide jobs and economic opportunity for members of the Tohono O’odham Nation, the West Valley and Arizona. The Nation is proud of the partnerships we have forged in the region, which will only strengthen and grow as we move forward.”
CEO Tohono O’odham Gaming Enterprise CEO Andy Asselin told the crowd, “This is a day our guests and employees have been looking forward to for a long time. We have put together a terrific construction team that will be developing a unique attraction for the entire West Valley. We’re eager to get started.”
The project is expected to take two years to complete. It will be built on 54 acres of reservation land adjacent to the city of Glendale, in the Phoenix Valley, also near to the area’s sports arenas, the Westgate Entertainment District and P83 Entertainment District in Peoria.
Chairman Ned Norris Jr. declared, “We have come a long way.” The project was first announced eight years ago. It will have a 75,000-square foot casino floor with Class III slots, table games, live bingo and five restaurants.
Besides the permanent jobs of about 1,600 that will be created, the project itself, which will be headed by Hunt/Penta Joint Venture, will generate 1,500 construction jobs.
When the tribe first purchased property near Glendale, using money from a federal land settlement and then announced that it would build a casino there, the reaction was swift and hostile from almost all quarters.
The state of Arizona and several rival gaming tribes fought the project in federal court and several state lawmakers in Congress also tried to pass legislation to kill the proposal. All ultimately failed.
The current, interim casino opened on December 2015. It currently employs 700. It will continue to operate during construction, and them eventually be recycled into a warehouse.
