Hard Rock International has partnered with the Tejon Indian Tribe in central California to develop and manage a $600 million casino resort near Bakersfield near Highway 99.
The tribe is awaiting approval by the Bureau of Indian Affairs of its project to build on 52 acres of a 306 acre parcel of largely vacant land the tribe owns. That process is expected to take at least a year. The BIA recently completed a scoping letter and has begun the environmental review process.
The plans also call for a 22 acre RV park, administrative offices, a clinic and tribal housing for the 972 members.
The casino resort will include a hotel with 400 rooms, 13 restaurants, a live entertainment facility and what the tribe says will be the largest conference space in Kern County.
Tribal Chairman Octavio Escobedo said in a press release, “We welcome this partnership with Hard Rock International, one of the world’s most widely recognized brands, as an important step for our tribe and know that this project will be a great economic driver.”
He added, “Our project will be privately financed, not costing taxpayers a single dime, and employment opportunities will be available to all qualified applicants, not just tribal members.”
The tribe promised that the project will generate economic benefits for Kern County. That would include the creation of about 1,000 temporary construction jobs and at least 2,000 permanent jobs.
The city of Bakersfield is reportedly apprehensive that the convention center might compete with the city-owned Rabobank Arena, Theater and Convention Center. Typically local government has little influence on whether the federal government puts land into trust for a tribe. The Tejon tribe was recognized by the federal government in 2012 and so it is currently landless, until a reservation is established for it.
Hard Rock is also building a casino near Sacramento for the Enterprise Rancheria, expected to open later this year.
