The Indian casino that a San Diego tribe hopes to build in Barstow, Southern California, remains alive despite ten years of less than successful efforts to make it a reality.
The city of Barstow continues to hope that the Bureau of Indian Affairs will act favorably on the request by the Los Coyotes Band of Cahuilla and Cupeño Indians to put land into trust for them in Barstow, more than 100 miles north of their reservation.
The request would require a “two-point determination,” which means that Governor Jerry Brown would need to sign onto the project, even if the Bureau rules in favor of the proposal.
Waiting for the decision is forcing several other developments to wait too, such as a possible Tanger Outlet Center that would be built in tandem with the casino. Because the casino hotel would only have 100 rooms, that would spur other hospitality developments if the casino is built.
Some developments are put on hold because property owners are keeping the land prices inflated in anticipation of the casino being built nearby. This keeps some choice developable acres from changing hands, according to some who are familiar with the city’s real estate situation.
Others counter that the city needs to put in some infrastructure to make development happen, whether or not a casino happens.
According to a real estate developer interviewed by the Victorville Daily Press, “If the issue is settled one way or the other, then it will allow the market prices to come to some sort of equilibrium that will allow for more investment to occur. And if the casino goes in, obviously that equilibrium will be at a higher market price, which is great. And if it’s not coming, let’s establish what that market is, and we get other people to come in to buy and build.”
The request continues to remain active with the Bureau. According to a spokesman for the casino project, “It’s still working through the process in Washington. These things take a little time, well, a long time,” he said with a chuckle. “We’ve learned to be patient over the years. They are constantly asking for a little more information to fill in the gaps, dot the i’s and cross the t’s to make a decision.”
