Arizona’s Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation will break ground on a new Fort McDowell Casino on June 29 with a planned completion of spring 2020. The new casino will replace the existing one.
The ceremony is expected to be attended by VIPs, elected officials, dignitaries from around the state and tribal members.
The expansion will be 166,341 square feet, featuring a larger gaming area, high end dining, a garden court and sports bar with live entertainment stage—all designed by Thalden Boyd Emery Architects. W.E. O’Neil, and Kitchell Construction are also part of the project team.
The 950-member tribe has a 40-square mile reservation northeast of Phoenix, in Maricopa County.
The existing 150,000 SF casino will remain open during construction. After the expansion opens the old casino will be repurposed, although for what use has not been announced. The tribe also operates the 246-room We-Ko-Pa Resort and Conference Center, the Poco Diablo hotel, the We-Ko-Pa Golf Course, and Fort McDowell Adventures.
Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation Tribal Council President, Bernadine Burnette commented, “We break ground on Friday, June 29th 2018 on a new casino and open a new chapter in the modern history of the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation. Our tribe has overcome many challenges just to be here today. Our path has been difficult, but the obstacles we’ve endured have only made us stronger. We may be the smallest tribe in the Valley, but we built the first high stakes bingo hall in the Phoenix area three decades ago and today we are taking another huge leap forward. This exciting project will set a new standard for quality entertainment in the Northeast Valley while providing economic security to our tribal government. We’re thankful that our past success enables us to make this investment in the future of our tribe and our region.”
