Washington’s Colville Confederated Tribes plan to build a million casino resort and 80-room hotel on its reservation along the Columbia River, 45 miles from the Canadian border. Plans are to break ground in May, with an opening about year later.
According to Mike Finley, chairman of the Colville Business Council, quoted by Indian Country Today, “This will be our first hotel.”
When completed the 52,000 square foot casino with 500 slot machines and some gaming tables will replace the existing Okanogan Bingo Casino and will be double its size. The tribe owns three casinos but no hotels. The new casino will, according to Economic Alliance, be the Okanogan Valley’s first destination resort.
The tribe has wanted to build a casino near Omak. The tribe broke ground five years ago, but quickly abandoned the effort when aboriginal artifacts and human remains were discovered on the site.
The new site is located near Highway 97 on 35 acres of tribal-owned land.
