Cherokee Nation reveals plans for new hotel, casino
Posted on Tuesday, January 8, 2008
WEST SILOAM SPRINGS, Okla. - Cherokee Nation Enterprises announced Monday it will build an eight-story hotel along with the 200, 000-square-foot casino that's currently under construction.
The 140-room hotel and the new casino will cost about $ 108 million and create more than 500 new jobs, which will more than double the number of employees currently working for the casino in West Siloam Springs.
David Stewart, chief executive officer of Cherokee Nation Enterprises, made the announcement on the gaming floor between the bar and the cafe in the current 50, 000-square-foot casino.
"The expansion of this magnitude will create economic developments across the area," Stewart said. Adding a 120, 000-square-foot hotel to the project was possible because of the "springboard of success of our Tulsa facility."
Chad Smith, principal chief of the Cherokee Nation, said the "success story"of the hotel and casino is that they will provide the Cherokee people and the area with new jobs.
He said a casino supervisor recently told him that he was grateful for his job because he can provide for his family. When the supervisor started working at the casino, he was making $ 8 per hour. Now he makes $ 20 per hour and can buy his children whatever kind of shoes they want, Smith said.
"That's the success story of creating jobs," he said.
The hotel alone will create 75 new jobs, Stewart said.
West Siloam Springs is directly across the state line from Siloam Springs and its approximately 14, 000 residents.
Siloam Springs Mayor M. L. "Moose"Van Poucke said the development will likely mean more sales tax revenue for Siloam Springs because many of the new employees will have Siloam Springs addresses and shop there. But the mayor expressed concern of an increase in crime because of the casino.
"Something that we're concerned with is crime related to gambling," he said. "Definitely it's something we are watching very close."
Elaine Carr, mayor of West Siloam Springs, said she is excited about both developments because they will likely encourage more growth in the town of about 1, 000 residents.
Two hotels and a national restaurant chain have also expressed interest in building in the town, Carr said.
Carr said she liked that the new hotel and casino will be designed within the theme of Cherokee Nation history from the 1780 s to 1830. The theme is fitting because the area is the "bed"of the Cherokee Nation, Carr said. Smith said members of the Cherokee Nation will go to predominately Cherokee schools in the area and ask the students to draw pictures that will hang inside the new casino.
The hotel will include suites, a chief's suite, a fitness room and meeting space. The casino will feature a premier nightclub and stage along with more than 1, 600 new electronic games and nearly 30 poker and table games. It will also include a Las Vegas-style buffet and brand-name eateries.
Both developments are expected to be completed by the end of the year.
Cherokee Nation Enterprises broke ground on the new casino in December 2006. The current facility will remain open during construction. The new casino is being built around the existing one.
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