Choctaw Nation on a development boom with dozens of projects

Wednesday, May 31, 2017  

The Choctaw Nation is on a development boom in Oklahoma.

According to The Journal Record, the tribe had 40 projects under construction as of December. The lengthy list includes a new 500,000 square-foot headquarters in Durant.

“This is our stake in the ground,” Chief Gary Batton told the paper of a $219 million facility that's expected to open in early 2018. “We’re not going to move to Mexico. We’re proud and honored to be here.”

The tribe's territory covers a 10-county area in southeastern Oklahoma. The region was designated a Promise Zone by the Obama administration in hopes of spurring development and economic opportunities.

The final Promise Zone selections were made in 2016. In addition to the Choctaws, the Spokane Tribe, the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians, the Spirit Lake Nation and the Pine Ridge Reservation, home to the Oglala Sioux Tribe, have benefited from program.

Read More on the Story:
New Choctaw headquarters in southern Oklahoma on target (The Journal Record 5/29)