In 2015, the Catawba Indian Nation in South Carolina said it was working with Hard Rock International to open a $300 million-$600 million casino resort on 16 acres in Kings Mountain, North Carolina, 30 miles west of Charlotte. The project would include 220,000 square feet of gaming, two hotels, dining, retail and entertainment and employ up to 5,000 people.
The Cleveland County Chamber of Commerce and economic development officials support the plan but many North Carolina state lawmakers, including state Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger oppose a tribe from outside the state opening a casino in North Carolina. Some grassroots groups, including Stop Catawba Casino, also have emerged.
The Catawbas submitted a land-trust application to the Bureau of Indian Affairs in 2014. The tribe has heard little about it since then. However, the agency is undergoing changes under the Trump administration—the director resigned in April—leaving Catawba officials waiting for answers.
The Catawba Indian Nation was federally recognized in 1993; it’s the only Native American tribe in South Carolina. Their 1,000-acre reservation is in York County where most of the tribe’s 2,900 members reside. The legislation recognizing the tribe included $50 million to help the Catawbas acquire more land in their ancestral home, including all of South Carolina, plus certain counties in North Carolina including Cleveland.
