Residents of south Chandler are concerned about plans to build a third game in the Gila River Indian Community.
Officials have publicly disclosed some details about the two-year construction job for the new Arizona casino. OD Harris, a Chandler City councilor, unveiled some plans, admitting that the community had previously kept them confidential.
Harris shared information about a world-class casino, golf course, and a hotel with spa amenities. The hotel was constructed on a vast 580-acre land.
Chandler residents are unhappy with the fresh AZ game.
Not all, including those residing in the capital, have shown the same level of enthusiasm for Chandler’s new, large-scale game.
Doubts have been raised about the city’s ability to adequately handle visitor traffic, through phone calls and social media posts.
Stephen Lewis, the Governor of Gila River Indian Community in southern Arizona, has not yet discussed the impact on capital visitors. However, he has emphasized the benefits which include increased revenue, security, and essential services for the town.
Lewis commented:
“We expect to generate hundreds of new job opportunities that can be utilized by community members. We also foresee that many of these roles will be occupied by individuals from within the community. This is a similar scenario to what occurred at the Vee Quiva Casino.”
The new game may have three more Gila River components added to it.
Gila River in Arizona now hosts three games, with two of them being in the Chandler region.
The Vee Quiva Casino in Laveen Village opened five centuries after the Lone Butte Casino, which began operations in 2008.
Opened in 1995, Wild Horse Pass in Chandler may be the largest of the new properties. Spanning more than 400,000 flat square feet, it includes 100,000 square feet dedicated to entertainment.
John Graham, President of Sunbelt Holdings, believes that the new casino fills a void in the entertainment market of the East Valley.
But as Harris pointed out, there is still little additional information.
“Harris stated, “We are still in the process of understanding the intricacies of their master plan. The Native nation has been keeping information closely guarded.”
An updated game compact made a new game possible.
The new gaming agreement, signed by Governor Doug Ducey in spring 2021, is now fully utilized by the Gila River Indian Community.
A gambling contract from 2002 originally prohibited the establishment of any new casinos in the Phoenix metropolitan area. Despite this, the Gila River Indian Community bravely pushed for the inception of a third casino. They believed that the potential benefits significantly outweighed the possible disadvantages for their neighborhood.
The amended compact not only permitted casinos to introduce additional games like craps, baccarat, and roulette, but it also approved the building of a minimum of four new casinos in the state. This includes at least two establishments in the Phoenix area.
Gila River leaders gave their approval for a new casino project on June 18. This project had been on hold since 2007. The new casino is set to be located on tribal land just south of Chandler, in the vicinity of Gilbert Road and Hunt Highway.
Councilman guarantees that Gila River did hear people’s input.
In a Facebook post, Harris acknowledged that the casino’s effect on traffic still concerns the local community. However, he also mentioned that Chandler currently has no plans to widen Gilbert Road and Hunt Highway.
Harris underscored that all public comments from the town government will be received by the Gila River Indian Community.
“While the City of Chandler will not participate in the evaluation or approval of the Gila River Indian Community’s expansion, we will engage in discussions about capital equipment plans with residents. This is to ensure that tribal officials can make informed decisions about the site’s development.”
Two years ago, the Gila River Indian Community pressured the Arizona Department of Transportation to build a bridge exchange to improve access to the Vee Quiva game. If the new game causes congestion in Chandler streets, associated plans could come to fruition.
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