Construction continues to move forward on the Cowlitz Tribe’s 0 million ilani casino resort near La Center, Washington, with a project opening of spring 2017.
The project is 16 miles from Portland, Oregon, which makes it a major headache for both the state of Oregon and its gaming tribes, who have begun to release figures on how much money they will lose if the La Center casino opens.
The Oregon Lottery will contribute $65 million fewer dollars to education, state parks, housing and economic development.
The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, owners of Spirit Mountain Casino, complain that they will lose $100 million annually, a figure that a lobbyist for the tribe called “devastating.”
Kara Fox-LaRose, president and general manager of the project, told the Oregonian that there is room for everyone in the market. Being so close to the border, we have access to a great population center,” she said. “But it’s one we can all benefit from.”
The casino’s shell has been completed, despite the fact that the legal challenge is not yet resolved. The Grand Ronde sued the Bureau of Indian Affairs in 2010 over its approval of putting 152 acres in La Center into trust. It accuses the tribe of using “reservation shopping” to get nearer to the Portland metro area than it could have done with its own reservation.
If the tribe had stayed on its ancestral homeland, 15 miles away, the lawsuit wouldn’t have happened, say the opponents. A federal judge initially sided with the Cowlitz tribe. Opponents have appealed. The appeal is likely to be decided sometime this summer.
Fox-LaRose says the tribe is confident in winning the appeal. She notes that the project is about 40 percent completed, including the casino’s shell.
“Our property will complement any existing offerings. Our location is far enough away that there’s plenty of room for all of us to grow the market and benefit and continue to help the tribes,” she said. “Our overall message is that this is something really significant. It’s an economic engine that will help improve the entire community.”
