Artist's rendering of proposed Catawba Nation casino in North Carolina. Image from Catawba Nation Project Brief
The Catawba Nation of South Carolina has local support for a casino across the border in North Carolina but the tribe faces significant hurdles going forward. Officials in Cleveland County, North Carolina, are welcoming the $600 million resort. The local Chamber of Commerce is helping promote the plan. But negotiating and getting approval for Class III gaming compact will be tough. Top state lawmakers have already come out against the casino. Then there is the land-into-trust process. The tribe filed an application for 16 acres in Cleveland County but a decision is likely years away. “It’s not a short process by any means. It’s not going to happen overnight," Bureau of Indian Affairs spokesperson Nedra Darling told the Associated Press. A land claim settlement that was enacted by Congress in 1993 includes Cleveland County in the tribe's service area. But it's not clear whether the tribe has any trust land in North Carolina. Get the Story:
Catawbas seek federal OK for casino land in NC (The Rock Hill Herald 9/10)
Catawbas File Application For NC Casino Project (AP 9/10) Related Stories:
Catawba Nation files land-into-truat application for casino site (9/9)
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