Quapaw Tribe Chairman John Berrey, chairman of Downstream Media Group, recently presented an update on the proposed $320 million Saracen Casino Resort in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. Berrey said some work has begun at the casino site, but he noted the sooner he receives a gaming license, the sooner he can start spending money in Jefferson County. He said the casino could generate $35 million in five years in gaming tax revenue for the city and state. “Even though the county has got some struggles now, there is light at the end of the tunnel, and it’s not a train, it’s opportunity,” Berrey said.
At the meeting, Berrey said Pine Bluff Mayor Shirley Washington told him local contractors must get top consideration in the bidding process. He said it would cost less to use local equipment and local workers. “There are a lot of small guys in this town that want to work. They have the capability to work, but they don’t have the bonding capacity. They don’t have some of the licensing or some other requirements, so our goal is to take some of those guys and pair them with bigger guys or medium-sized guys so they can become a part of the project,” Berrey said.
He pointed out the Quapaw Tribe built the Downstream Casino and Resort in Oklahoma in 10 months and 26 days, including the shell, skin on the casino and opening the restaurants and gaming areas. The hotel followed six months later. Berrey said he hopes to have a similar timeline at Saracen. “We’ll build the structure, put the skin on it. We’ll focus on opening the casino so I can start generating income to help pay for finishing up the hotel and convention space. So, let’s say we get our license mid-April, I’m thinking I’d like to see it open by Valentine’s Day 2020,” he said.
Berrey said the casino’s theme will honor the history and culture of the Quapaw Indians and African Americans. “Even though people don’t know it, we have a lot in common,” he said. He added the property also will celebrate the history of agriculture in the Delta. “It’s a rich history in the Delta, where a lot of white people and black people came together to produce crops that made Pine Bluff at one time one of the greatest places in America for the port and the railroad, so we don’t want to forget that.”
