The 0 million Ilani Casino is set to open in two months, and Cowlitz tribal officials say they have now hired 70 percent of the 1,000 employees they will need.
A freeway interchange that will serve the casino and which the tribe is funding for $40 million is 80 percent complete according to Kara Fox-LaRose, casino president and gaming manager.
Speaking to the local Lion’s Club, Fox-LaRose declared, “We want this to be a sought-after facility. We want people to leave and tell their friends and family about us and come back and visit over and over again. So, that’s how we’re going to maintain long-term stability and maintain a competitive advantage for the Cowlitz Tribe.”
The tribe is expecting 4.5 million visitors a year to take advantage of the casino’s location near Interstate 5. “We will not open this casino until that bridge is done, until we can mitigate the traffic impacting the community,” she said.
Besides gaming, there will be dining, retail shops and a concert venue that can seat 2,500 people, plus a banquet space and entertainment lounge.
She told the group, “Anything you encounter on the (casino) property we really want to blow you away.”
