New Casino coming to West Valley?

[gregski]

Tribe's pitch for casino-resort catches Glendale by surprise
http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2009/01/30/20090130gl-casino0131-ON.html

...The Tohono O'odham Nation hopes to rectify that, filing an application this week with the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs to transform a 135-acre county island at 91st and Northern avenues into a federal land-in-trust, which would pave the way for a casino.

Here's a glimpse of what is proposed at the southwest corner of Northern Avenue between 91st and 95th avenues:

• 150,000 square feet of gaming with 1,089 slot machines, 50 table games, 25 poker tables and a 1,000-seat bingo hall.

• Full-service spa and 600-room hotel.

• Five restaurants, food court, buffet and coffee shop.

• Two bars and a nightclub.

• 40,000-square-foot convention center.

• 30,000 square feet of retail.


Says it should open "as early as 2012"

[Aack Thbbbt]

25 poker tables could really hurt the business at CAZ, i wonder what the percentage of players is that come from that side of the Valley.

[gregski]

i know i do.

[trussdude]

How long do you think it will take for them to put up a tent?

[that_pope]

How long do you think it will take for them to put up a tent?

2012

[gregski]

the 2012 was for the whole thing (I thought) they may put up a temporary tent thing like CAZ did (has at Indian Bend)

But to answer the question, not for at least a year (thats how long the application processes can take)

[Aack Thbbbt]

Apparently Glendale is going to try to appeal the last ruling that was in favor of the Tribe to try to stop the casino from moving foprward.

"Glendale City Council voted 5-2 Tuesday to petition the state Supreme Court to hear its appeal against a tribe that wants to build a casino near the city's sports and entertainment district."

Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/community/glendale/articles/2011/05/11/20110511glendale-petition-supreme-court-casino-land-brk.html#ixzz1MM4IipfV

The time line so far:

• 2003 - Tohono O'odham Nation buys 135 acres at 95th and Northern avenues under a holding company.

• January 2009 - Tribe rolls out renderings of 600-room resort and casino near Glendale's sports and entertainment district and immediately files application with U.S. Department of Interior to designate the 135 acres a reservation.

• April 2009 - Glendale City Council votes 6-1 to oppose tribe.

• July 2009 - Tribe sues Glendale to void city's claim that 46 of the 135 acres was annexed by the city and is within its jurisdiction.

• March 2010 - Maricopa County Superior Court rules in Glendale's favor on annexation issue, which forces the tribe to scale back its Interior application to 54 acres and eventually to scale back casino plans to one-third its original size. The tribe is appealing the ruling.

• March 2010 - The tribe files a lawsuit against the Interior, claiming it's stalling the tribe's application.

• July 2010 - Interior accepts tribe's application to designate the 54 acres as a reservation.

• September 2010 - Glendale, Gila River Indian Community and five Gila tribal members sue the Interior over its decision. State legislative leaders later join the suit. Interior holds off formally designating the land a reservation until legal challenge settled.

• Feb. 2 - Gov. Jan Brewer signs a bill, which will allow Glendale to annex the tribe's land 90 days after the legislative session's end. If annexation happens before the land is designated a reservation, it could stop the tribe as it can only seek to take unincorporated land into the reservation.

• Feb. 10 - Tohono O'odham sues the state over the new law, calling it unconstitutional.

• Feb. 14 - State Attorney General Tom Horne and the Gila River Indian Community file a lawsuit, claiming the Tohono O'odham plans would break the state's compact that outlines rules for gaming operations on reservations.

• Feb. 23 - After two years on the sidelines, the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community comes out against the proposed casino.

• March 3 - U.S. District Court Judge David Campbell knocks down Glendale, Gila River and others' legal challenge and rules in favor of the Interior, upholding its decision to take the land into the reservation system. Gila River and Glendale indicate they will appeal.

• May  2011 - Judge David Campbell ruled that neither Glendale nor the federal government can touch the tribe's land until after the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rules on the appeal from Glendale and others.
The city, state legislative leaders, the Gila River Indian Community and the Arizona Attorney General are appealing a U.S. District Court ruling this spring that upheld the federal decision to place a portion of the tribe's land, 54 acres, into the reservation system.Glendale said if the land was taken into the reservation system on May 16, the city's appeal of that designation would be rendered moot.

The federal government argued if it was prohibited from taking the land into the reservation system on May 16, Glendale could seek to annex the property. A bill passed in the recently ended legislative session would allow Glendale to annex the property without the tribe's consent.
The federal government argued that such action by Glendale would effectively void its decision that the land qualified to become a reservation.Campbell said he found merit in both sides and thus opted to stop either side from acting until appeals are settled.
"The public interest is best served by maintaining the status quo," he said.That decision means the tribe can't move on its casino plans for months, if not longer.Arizona Court of Appeals

The court ruled Tuesday that Glendale has no claim to a 46-acre strip of land the Tohono O'odham Nation purchased for its casino. The tribe had acquired 134 acres, but scaled back the project when nearly a third of the property came under dispute.
Glendale claimed a strip of the tribe's land was annexed by the city in 2001. That was a stumbling block for the tribe, which under a federal settlement, could only acquire unincorporated land for a reservation.

Glendale argued the annexation automatically took effect 30 days after the city approved it. The city argued that was despite any court challenge to stop the annexation.
The Tohono O'odham Nation argued that because the city annexation was timely challenged by the landowner and the annexation subsequently repealed by Glendale before a court could rule on the challenge, the annexation was never final nor effective. A three-judge panel agreed with the tribe, reversing a Maricopa County Superior Court ruling last year.
The lower court had sided with Glendale. The tribe now has control over all 134 acres. But the city may appeal.

Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/community/glendale/articles/2011/05/06/20110506glendale-casino-court-rulings.html#ixzz1MM398CYC

Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/community/glendale/articles/2011/03/11/20110311tohono-oodham-plans-casino-anything-typical.html#comments#ixzz1MM1KTXTw