Fort Sill Apache Tribe members sang mountain spirit songs as Chairman Jeff Haozous dug the first shovel of dirt at the groundbreaking ceremony for the tribe’s new million event center at its Apache Casino Hotel in Lawton, Oklahoma, scheduled for completion in 2017. The 50,000 square foot, multi-purpose facility will hold 1,200 guests for concerts and 500 for banquets. Project Manager Brady Jones added the center will offer a 9,000 square foot seating area, VIP balcony seating and a 38 foot by 20 foot stage and a 30 foot ceiling, plus a 4,000 square foot area for pre-event activities.
In addition, the expansion project will include a newly remodeled cashier’s cage and players club, set to due to open in March 2016, plus room for 100 new 100 slot machines. The casino snack bar will be replaced by a 50-seat cafe in the new building which also will house all administrative functions now operating out of a modular building.
Haozous said, “This will allow our people, the citizens of Lawton, to stay in Lawton, to have another option for entertainment. It will allow the players and concert guests to come in from out of town, so there will be more tourists in the city of Lawton and there will be more jobs for Lawtonians. I’m really looking forward to what we can do with this.”
He added, “It’s just one more step in our growth. Starting from 1999, when we bought a small metal building with East Gore Bingo, to expanding to this casino, then the hotel and restaurant and convenience store. It’s one more amenity for our players, one more source of job opportunities for our members and the community members, one more source of entertainment for the people of the city of Lawton,” Haozous said.
