The Soboba Tribe of San Jacinto, California last week broke ground on a replacement casino and resort just a few miles from the current location, which opened in 1983.
That first casino was a temporary Sprung structure combined with a trailer. The casino is still inside of a tent.
Tribal Chairman Scott Cozart, who held that same job in 1983, commented “This has been in the works for a number of years. I’m amazed at how far we’ve come.”
The groundbreaking included Tribal Administrator Michael Castello, Steven Estrada, chairman of the neighboring Santa Rosa Band of Cahuilla Indians, who offered a prayer and blessing, Soboba Tribal Chairman Scott Cozart and various tribal officials.
The new casino will be 83,500 square feet with 2,000 slot machines, 24 gaming tables, restaurants, bars, a sports lounge, and high limit room. The hotel will have more than 200 rooms. The complex will cover 37.5 acres on land the tribe has owned for many years, but which was put into trust in 2015. It is adjacent to the Country Club at Soboba and Soboba Springs Golf Course, also owned by the tribe. The tribe declines to say how much the project will cost.
Construction is expected to take from 16 to 18 months.
San Jacinto Mayor Scott Miller declared, “Long after all of us are gone, your legacy will go on. This center will become the diamond of this valley, a place to enjoy, refresh and relax. You are helping fulfill the purpose of this valley, for people to get away and rejuvenate their souls.”
Richard Freeark, senior vice president of C.W. Driver, the San Diego-based builder, commented, “We’re thrilled to be working on the new casino and hotel development project with the Soboba Tribe. Our deep-rooted experience in the hospitality and gaming marketplaces coupled with our longstanding relationship with the Soboba Tribe makes this a seamless partnership for everyone involved.”
