The Lytton Band of Pomo Indians, which operates a Class II casino, the San Pablo, 17 miles from downtown San Francisco, will be purchasing nearly 11 acres abutting the 10 acres site to use for additional parking.
The 10.8 acres site, which the tribe will buy for $13 million, is currently occupied by an empty hospital building. An attorney for the tribe told the East Bay Times that the land will be used for a parking lot.
The casino, perhaps the closet to an urban area in California, has been controversial for years because of the way that the land was put into trust: as a last-minute bill placed in an omnibus spending bill in 2000 without almost any California lawmakers aware of it until it was law. This outraged U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein and sparked legal challenges, which were ultimately unsuccessful.
Because of that history, attempts by the tribe to expand beyond that original 10 acres, or to offer Class III gaming, have been opposed. The tribe denies that the new acquisition will be used for a casino expansion.
The Doctors Medical Center, owned by the West Contra Costa Healthcare District, is in the midst of federal bankruptcy proceedings. The tribal attorney, Larry Stidham, says it will take two years to remove the old structure. The casino already leases 2.5 acres on the site for parking.
The San Pablo Casino has 1,450 Class II slots and 13 table and poker games.
