The Wilton Rancheria recently announced that it will build its casino on 35 acres in Elk Grove, about a dozen miles from the tribe’s reservation in Elk Grove.
The site was announced in a June 9 press release.
Chairman Raymond C. Hitchcock told the Elk Grove Citizen, “Our office is in Old Town Elk Grove. That means we’re not going anywhere anytime soon and that money is going to stay here in our community to where we can benefit the community with philanthropic endeavors.”
The land where the casino will rise is next door to an outlet mall currently under construction. The seller was the Howard Hughes Corporation, which is the builder of the mall.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs issued a draft environmental impact statement late last year. It will soon release a final EIS.
The tribe picked the site from three alternatives. It initially preferred 282 acres in Galt. However it would have had to spend as much as $30 million on infrastructure, including a freeway overpass that it switched to Elk Grove.
The current iteration for the proposed casino is 110,260 square feet in gaming area, a 12-story hotel, 360-seat buffet, retail shopping, a fitness center, spa and convention center. It will have 2,000 slot machines and 84 gaming tables.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs must still give its blessing to the site, and because it would be an off-reservation casino site, the state governor will also have a veto.
