Cathedral City, in California’s Coachella Valley, has approved a series of agreements with the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians that will expedite a third casino for the tribe, this one downtown. The actual location has not been approved.
The City Council voted 3-0 to approve the agreements, which included a stipulation that the tribe pay the city as much as $6.5 million over a decade. It will also pay $150,000 annually to help mitigate casino impacts, such as the need to hire more emergency services personnel. It will also pay $5 million for road improvements.
The tribe projects that its project could create as many as 556 jobs.
The hoped-for location is on 13 acres downtown; the tribe has applied to the Bureau of Indian Affairs to put the parcel into trust. Until that happens, the tribe cannot yet break ground or even plan a completion date.
The tribe’s plans include a casino with 500 Class III slots and eight gaming tables. It would be open 24/7 and offer parking, dining, bars, retail shopping, mixed use and tribal government offices. This is somewhat more modest than the Agua Caliente Resort Casino Rancho Mirage, which has 1,450 machines and 48 tables. The third casino would be the tribe’s first off the reservation.
Coachella Valley Economic Partnership CEO Joe Wallace touted the potential for the casino to generate economic benefits. “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.”
