Most of the attendees at the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs’ recent public hearing regarding the Coquille Tribe’s proposed casino in Medford, Oregon spoke out against the project, which would be located at the Roxy Ann Lanes bowling alley and the former Kim’s restaurant on South Pacific Highway near Harry & David operations.
Coquille tribe officials said the casino would cost $11 million to build and an additional $6.1 million would be spent on local purchases during the first year of operations. More than 230 jobs would be created, primarily filled by non-tribal employees. The tribe currently operates the Mill Casino in North Bend on the southwest Oregon coast.
Several speakers said the Coquille tribe has no ancestral claim to land in the Rogue Valley. In addition, allowing the tribe to have a second casino would run against Oregon’s one-casino-per-tribe rule.
Jackson County Commissioner Doug Breidenthal said county officials are concerned about an increase in problem gambling, plus the added stress on police and fire departments, the county jail, the district attorney’s office and other public services.
Officials from other tribes also spoke at the meeting. Shasta tribe members said they do have ancestral ties to the Rogue Valley. Cow Creek Band of the Umpqua Tribe members said a Medford casino would cannibalize their Seven Feathers Casino Resort in Canyonville, where half of visitors come from the Rogue Valley. Cow Creek leaders added few jobs would be created at the Medford casino since employees would be laid off at Seven Feathers. In fact, 93 people recently were laid off at Seven Feathers and leaders partly blamed talk of a casino in Medford. Cow Creek Human Resources Director Andrea Davis said allowing a Medford casino would hurt generations of Cow Creek members. “The Coquille should not benefit from our loss,” she said.
In response, Coquille Tribal Chairperson Brenda Meade said like the Cow Creek’s Seven Feathers casino, the Medford casino would help her tribe fund health care, education and housing programs and provide jobs. “They will be good paying jobs with excellent benefits,” she said.
She noted the casino only would allow select electronic video games, unlike the Seven Feathers casino which offers table games.
The hearing was held at North Medford High School.
