Despite the banners and bus cards announcing its arrival, construction at the Muscogee (Creek) Nation’s Margaritaville development at the River Spirit Casino in south Tulsa is on hold while the tribe waits for the Army Corps of Engineers to issue a 404 permit, Principal Chief George Tiger said recently. The permit will be granted once the corps is assured the development will not harm the environment. Tiger said the tribe has been waiting for the permit since last fall, and the delay moves Margaritaville’s opening to fall 2016.
“Maybe a little bit of frustration when we know the bottom line is to help the local economy. Unfortunately, with the federal government and all government their wheels don’t move as fast as we would like for it to,” Tiger said.
Originally estimated at $250 million, Tiger recently said the investment has risen to $375 million due to increases in builders’ and materials costs.
