The Picayune Rancheria of Chukchansi Indians in Coarsegold, central California have broken ground on an 18-pump gas station called “Chukchansi Crossing.” The station will have pumps for buses and RVs and charging stations for electric cars.
Other amenities will be a car wash, smoke shop and retail center. The facility will provide construction jobs for about 200 workers, said tribal chairman Claudia Gonzales.
“This is an important economic development project for our tribe,” she said during the groundbreaking, which was attended by about 50 on January 30. “This is another promise fulfilled by the tribal council to provide new revenue streams to continue to reestablish its economic and cultural strength. The tribe looks forward to providing this service to the community and to expanding our employment for the region.”
Madera County Supervisor Tom Wheeler predicted that more jobs would follow. “In North Fork, when we lost the sawmill we lost out on doctors, a dentist, banks, all sorts of things. Think about that. And think about the jobs that will be offered here. They’re not just minimum wage jobs. I think this will be a great benefit for the whole area.”
The gas station will be able to offer fuel prices without state taxes that gas stations located off the reservation won’t be able to meet. Some local gas stations have said they might be forced to close because of the inability to compete.
Wheeler told the Sierra Star that this worried him. “I like to see new businesses, and I don’t want to stop anyone from doing what they want to with their property. But I’m worried about what these prices will be and the impact it’s going to have on the area.”
The same day the tribe announced that it is buying six properties in Oakhurst that will total 4.51 acres to house tribal government facilities, including medical, schools and residential housing. This will allow the tribe to relocate its headquarters closer to the tribal members and to the Chukchansi Gold Resort & Casino said Gonzales. The tribal office has been in North Fresno for several years.
“We are glad to be home in Aposau, the original name of Oakhurst. Just like 2016, 2017 is starting out as a positive year for our tribe and the people in Madera,” she said.
