The Agua Caliente Tribe of Southern California is near a deal with the Riverside County Board of Supervisors over how much the tribe will pay to the county in mitigation for a new planned casino on 13 acres in Cathedral City. The board voted 5-0 last week to enter into an intergovernmental pact with the tribe.
Under the pact, the tribe would pay the county $125,000 this year to cover mental health care, problem gaming and substance abuse treatment. The first payment would be to Riverside University Health System-Behavioral Health Department. Future compensation will be determined after the casino opens.
The tribe wants to build its third casino. The first and second are in Palm Springs and Rancho Mirage.
Tribal Chairman Jeff Grubbe told the Desert Sun in an email: “The county agreement gets us another step closer to being able to realize this project in Cathedral City.” He added, “There are still a few more steps, and we are looking forward to announcing a groundbreaking date in coming months.”
The agreement includes a section on environmental impacts and other quality-of-life issues. It includes a section on addressing grievances and calls for the two sides to meet twice a year.
This will be the first time the tribe has built off its 32,000-acre reservation, which is in a checkerboard pattern within three towns. It purchased land in downtown Cathedral City and applied to the Bureau of Indian Affairs to put the 13-acre parcel into trust. That approval is needed before building can begin, so the timing of the new casino is up in the air.
The plans are for a casino with 500 Class III machines and eight gaming tables. that will be open 24/7, parking, dining, bars, retail shopping, mixed use and tribal office space. Tom Davis, chief planning and development officer for the tribe, estimates that the project will create 556 jobs.
Joe Wallace, CEO of the Coachella Valley Economic Partnership, hailed the project as an engine of the economy that “will enable many people with an opportunity to seek careers with a stable thriving employer that has always been a good corporate citizen.” He added, “The strategic location with proximity to the downtown shopping district has the capacity to provide an economic stimulus to the offerings that are available while adding to the entertainment options in downtown Cathedral City.”
The casino plans were first announced two years ago, shortly before the tribe bought the parcel for $5.5 million. The land is considered underdeveloped, and the tribe is touting the project as a redevelopment effort.
