At the two-year anniversary celebration for the Spokane Tribe Casino on January 8, as guests prepared to cut into a three-tiered cake, the Washington tribe announced that Phase II of the project will soon begin.
The $40 million casino is located near Airway Heights. It was built after 10 years of planning, getting approvals from the state and federal governments, and fighting off legal challenges such as one from its nearest neighbor Northern Quest Resort & Casino, also in Airway Heights.
Spokane Tribe Chairwoman Carol Evans told guests the tribe has issued an RFP for a construction contract to nearly double the size of the existing 38,000-square-foot casino, and add a food court, sports bar and entertainment center with seating for more than 1,000. A non-smoking section will also be added. The Spokane Tribe also plans to break ground in a few months for a 70-room hotel in Chewelah, Washington. The casino expansion is expected to take about 14 months with up to 10 months for the hotel to be built.
The chairwoman quipped, “When we build, we build fast.”
