Grande Ronde Tribes consider hotel but not casino at old track

Wednesday, June 29, 2016

Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Chairman Reyn Leno, far left, attends the demolition ceremony for the old Multnomah Greyhound Park in Wood Village, Oregon, on June 28, 2016. Photo from Facebook

>
The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde aren't planning on pursuing a casino at the site of an old racetrack in Oregon, a consultant said.

The tribe paid $10 million for the 31-acre Multnomah Greyhound Park in Wood Village. But there are no plans to seek to have it placed in trust, The Oregonian reported.

"There are no current plans to have a casino," consultant Nancy Hamilton, whose website lists the tribe as a client, told the paper.

According to the tribe's Facebook page, Chairman Reyn Leno said the site will likely feature lodging, entertainment and housing. And it will serve as a "complement" to the Spirit Mountain Casino, about 75 miles away.

The site is located right right outside of Portland, the most populous city in Oregon. Spirit Mountain depends on patrons from the area and that's one of the reasons why Grand Ronde leaders are fighting a casino being built by the Cowlitz Tribe in neighboring Washington.

The fast-rising Cowlitz facility -- to be known as ilani -- is about 30 miles north of Portland. It's due to open in April 2017.

Get the Story:
Ceremony bids farewell to Multnomah Greyhound Park, scheduled for redevelopment (OregonLive 6/28)
Multnomah Greyhound Park Will Be Demolished Next Month (Oregon Public Broadcasting 6/28)
Multnomah Greyhound Park demolition begins (KOIN 6/28)
Former employees, spectators remember Multnomah Greyhound Park (KATU 6/28)
Cowlitz casino named ilani Resort (The Battle Ground Reflector 6/29)
Community invited to ilani Casino forums (The Columbian 6/29)