An aerial view of Mare Island. Photo from City of Vallejo
The city of Vallejo, California, will hold a public hearing next month on proposals to develop Mare Island. Of the 11 groups that sent bids to the city, four want to turn the 130-acre site into an Indian gaming destination. They include the Elem Colony and the Koi Nation. Two more developers included a tribal gaming component. The Vallejo Times-Herald identified them as as CivTek International/Advanced Core Technology and Friends of Mare Island/PGI Development. The details, however, aren't yet available to the public so it's not clear which tribes are attached to those projects. The paper asked the city to see the proposals but was told they will be released "as soon as possible." The city council will hold a work session next month to hear from all 11 bidders. A public hearing will be held during the week of November 10, the paper reported. If the city ends up selecting a tribal bidder, presumably the tribe would start the land-into-trust process for the site. Presumably, the project would treated as an off-reservation casino under the two-part determination provisions of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. Mare Island was a former Navy property that was transferred to the city. It's about 35 miles from downtown San Francisco. The Lytton Band of Pomo Indians operates the San Pablo Lytton Casino, a Class II facility, in San Pablo, about 18 miles from the city. The Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria operate the Graton Resort and Casino, a Class III facility, about 50 miles from San Francisco. Get the Story:
Vallejo to hold hearing on Indian gaming, other Mare Island proposals (The Vallejo Times Herald 10/16) Related Stories:
Tribes in California submit proposals to city to develop casino (10/10)
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