The
Redding Rancheria of California is finally moving forward with plans for a new casino at a bigger location.
The tribe has submitted a
land-into-trust application for a 232-acre site near the city of Redding. A scoping meeting -- the first step in a long journey -- takes place December 21.
"We are currently engaged in a process that will most likely take a few years to complete," Tracy Edwards, the tribe's chief executive officer, said in a
post on Facebook.
Edwards said the tribe was "extremely excited" to start work on the project, which has been in the works for more than a decade. But the effort suffered a setback in 2010, when the
Bureau of Indian Affairs said the land could not be used for a casino under the
Indian
Gaming Regulatory Act.
The tribe took the matter to court and won a favorable decision that
opened
the door for resubmitting the land-into-trust application. At issue was a controversial
gaming regulation that appeared to limit the tribe's options until the
9th Circuit Court of Appeals
determined otherwise in January 2015.
If the BIA approves the application, the tribe plans to close the
Win-River Resort and
Casino, which is located on a much smaller 2.3-acre site.
Plans call for a facility with a 140,000 square-foot casino, a hotel with about 250 rooms, retail and an event/convention center.
"We are part of the community and we look forward to input from the community as we work through this project," Edwards said. "This project will have a huge, positive input on the county, the city, and the tribe, it could potentially bring many jobs and visitors to our region."
Read More on the Story:
Redding Rancheria releases plans to build new hotel and casino
(KRCR 12/6)
Rancheria submits plans to build new casino off I-5
(The Redding Record-Searchlight 12/6)
Redding Rancheria to build new casino hotel in place of Win-River
(Action News Now 12/6)
Federal Register Notice:
Notice
of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Redding
Rancheria Fee-to-Trust and Casino Project, Shasta County, California (November 29, 2016)
9th Circuit Court of Appeals Decision:
Redding
Rancheria v. Jewell (January 20, 2015)
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