"It’s heartening to watch whenever any body, whether it’s a person or a governmental entity, realizes that it won’t hurt to be a little flexible, and chooses to adjust their plans for the good of their neighbors.

The Gila River Indian Community did just that late last week with the announcement that its Lone Butte Casino, which it had intended to relocate to Hunt Highway and Gilbert Road, will instead go into an industrial area at the southeast corner of Kyrene Road and the Loop 202.

This is part of a larger plan to move the Wild Horse Pass casino even closer to Interstate 10. The tribe’s preferred site is within 1.5 miles of the current Lone Butte, closer than allowed by the tribe’s compact with the state.

Lone Butte’s original relocation site likely would have been economically advantageous to the tribe — next to a residential area and able to draw gamblers who might not have traveled to the tribe’s casinos clustered near the freeway, or a third on the west side."

Get the Story:
Editorial: Tribe makes right call for all involved (The East Valley Tribune 7/10)

Also See:
Casino relocation a bad bet to some (The East Valley Tribune 7/10)