Land has begun to be cleared for the first phase of the $273 million Two Kings Casino Resort in Kings Mountain, North Carolina, owned by the Catawba Indian Nation. Tribal Administrator Elizabeth Harris said, “After clearing is complete, we will begin building an introductory facility.” The site is located 35 miles west of Charlotte.
Harris said the 60,000-square-foot venue off Dixon School Road near Interstate 85 will offer at least 1,300 slot machines, a restaurant and other “basic amenities.” The tribe will invest $80 million to $100 million which also will include road improvements to handle the additional traffic, Harris said.
Catawba leaders, in a December 1 Facebook post, invited tribal citizens who own flooring, electrical, landscaping and other construction-related businesses to be involved in new facility. Tribal leaders said they would forward the owners’ names to the project’s general contractor.
In late November, Harris said the tribe was in “serious discussions” with North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper’s office about a gaming compact. A spokesman for Cooper on December 11 confirmed, “The parties are now engaged in discussions regarding a proposed compact.” The compact, besides allowing Class III gambling, also would include estimated casino revenue the state could expect. In response to a question about whether the tribe would proceed with construction without a compact, Harris said, “Our preference is to work with the state on a compact.”
The Catawbas’ reservation is in Rock Hill, South Carolina. However, since gambling is prohibited in that state, the tribe purchased 16 acres in North Carolina, claiming a right to the land based on a provision of a 1993 agreement granting federal recognition. The federal Bureau of Indian took the land into trust and the Catawbas broke ground for their casino in July.
