The Wilton Rancheria last week held a public meeting to share information on its proposed 0 million casino resort in Elk Grove, California. Tribal Chairman Raymond “Chuckie” Hitchcock gave a Powerpoint presentation on the proposal.
The tribe proposes to build on 35.9 acres in an outlet shopping center next to property owned by the Howard Hughes Corp. It is speculated that this could give a shot in the arm to the shopping mall called the Outlet Collection, which was partially completed before the onset of the Great Recession.
The tribe recently announced its choice for a location, choosing Elk Grove over 282 acres in the nearby community of Galt.
The casino, which will be built and operated by Boyd Gaming Corp. of Las Vegas will have 2,000 slots, a 12-story hotel with 300 plus rooms, a spa, fitness center and a large convention center.
Hitchcock told the Elk Grove Citizen, “After we’ve been three years into this EIS process – the Environmental Impact Statement – and as we’re coming toward the end, we had to look at all the variables,” he said. “And when you look at Elk Grove, the infrastructure that’s already ready to go for the traffic, the overcrossing is done, water and waste water lines are pulled right directly to the project.”
He added that the property is “already slated for commercial development. You’re not changing agricultural zoning to commercial zoning. When you put all those things together, the Elk Grove site just makes sense across the board.”
The talk included details on the process the tribe went through, the agreements it will propose with the city of Elk Grove for services and the annual payments it proposes to make to the city and the County.
He said, “I hear kind of the same comments that we don’t pay taxes or it’s going to be a huge issue in crime or a problem gambling or this isn’t right for my community.”
He noted that the tribe doesn’t intend to replace the mall, but rather to complete it and be part of it.
Hitchcock estimates that the casino could open as soon as 2019. The project could provide 3,000 construction jobs during the 24-month building schedule.
He told the Citizen “We’re not an out-of-state venture coming in and building here and taking the money out of state,” he said. “We’re here in Elk Grove. Our offices are here in downtown Elk Grove. That means the money stays here in Elk Grove and gets invested in our community.”
