42 Indian Gaming November 2013

OPENINGS & EXPANSIONS

The Tulalip Resort Casino has recently added a double-header of food and beverage venues. Guests can now enjoysports themed dishes at “The Draft Sports Bar and Grill” andhandcrafted shaken cocktails at the Resort’s “DestinationLounge.”

Located adjacent to the hotel lobby, The Draft Sports Barand Grill is a modern sports themed getaway, featuring aselection of hearty stadium food, specialty craft beers, signature drinks and a deep list of wine offerings. Naturalwoods accented with electric blue, yellow and black, framea 161” x 91” wall matrix of video screens. An array of smallerflat panel TVs surround the bar, and multi-zoned audiobrings to life the full-on action experiences. The viewerfeels placed in the middle of every huddle, scrum, face off,and jump ball.

Guests can kick off game day with dishes like Curve BallShrimp and the Formula 500 Walla Walla Onion Tower. Signature plates include Grand Slam Chili; The Hook Crispy Mahi Mahi Filets and Fries; TKO Mac and CheeseSkillets; and a juicy BBQ Hog Handwich. No sports bar

would be complete without a juicy Hall of Fame Cheese-burger, where guests design their own. When both the finish line and the finish of the meal are in sight, fans cancruise the “Sweet Victory” dessert menu of Fried Seasonal

Tulalip Resort Casino Opens Two New Food and Beverage Venues

The Draft Sports Bar and Grill

The Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians recentlyannounced the addition of 32 new duplexes and townhomes inPokégnek Édawat, its Tribal Village located in Dowagiac. Thenew homes and housing programs that assist Pokagon citizens, represent the Pokagon Band’s commitment to providing affordable housing, economic development andincreased self-sufficiency for its citizens. The additional 32 newhomes, which are occupied or soon will be, bring the total to66 homes in the Tribal Village. Pokégnek Édawat is an example of what a potential Pokagon development in SouthBend, IN could look like.

“The Pokagon Band provides a variety of services to our citizens including education, healthcare, housing, languageand cultural preservation, and social services,” said Bob Moody,Vice Chairman of the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians.“These homes are the result of our continued mission to support our citizens and help them obtain a better quality oflife.”

The homes in Pokégnek Édawat are managed by the Pokagon Housing and Facilities Department which offers citizens assistance with home ownership, loans, installation orimprovements of well and/or sewer services, repair and rehabilitation assistance, lease-to-own opportunities, and rentaland homeless prevention programs.

Part of the workforce that built the new homes came froma Pokagon Band Carpenter Apprenticeship Program, developedin partnership with Southwestern Michigan College. The program requires a total of 8,000 hours of on-the-job training,much of which is completed on Pokagon Band construction projects. Apprentices will get their on-the-job training at Pokagon Band construction projects and perhaps eventually earnan associate’s degree and be able to open their own contract-ing business upon final completion of their apprenticeship. Pokagon citizen apprentices who worked on the expandedTribal Village include: Anthony Bridges, Tim Downing,Andrew Reidenour, Gordon Shults, and Tracy Wesaw.

Pokagon Band Adds 32 Homes to Tribal Village in Dowagiac, MI

November 2013 Indian Gaming 43

Pie served in an iron skillet with a big scoop of vanilla icecream; or the Overkill Sundae with peanut butter ice cream,sliced banana, milk chocolate magic shell, rice crispy treatnuggets and toasted peanuts. Also available is a Quick Picksmenu which will offer nine signature items from The Draft,for take-out.

The resort’s new hotel lobby bar, Destination Lounge, iscandle light and fire inspired. The atmosphere plays onlight through motion and reflection. Small niches are filledwith antique mirrors, clustered candles and sconces – which illuminate through gold petals. A large peninsula three sidedfireplace adds movement and echoes a layer of warmththroughout the space. Large comfortable, high-back banquettes, which line the wall, are adorned with sexy, shimmery gold upholstery and flame red lounge chairs bringthe space to life. Behind the glow of the knife-edged stonebar, is a custom etched antique mirror with a red Salishgraphic. Rich espresso stained wood walls and the herring-bone patterned floor wrap the space, while jazz musicians hold center stage on the four high definition televisions.

Resort guests can relax over handcrafted cocktails like the

Spicy Cucumber, Moonshine Special, Geo-Mandarin Strawberry, Polka Dot or a new twist on the classic Sazerac.The appetizer menu features dishes such as Shrimp Thai BasilPesto Spring Rolls, Cedar Wrapped Salmon Bites and HerbPolenta French Fries.

Destination Lounge

Potawatomi Bingo Casino recently celebrated a bench-mark in its $150 million hotel project with a topping-off ceremony of the 18-story tower.

The celebration recognized the nearly 800 workers who havebeen involved with the project to this point in the hotel’s construction. It is expected that nearly 1,000 workers will participate in the project by the time the hotel opens in earlyfall 2014. Additionally, during construction, Potawatomi BingoCasino has committed to awarding 20 percent of constructionbids to minority-owned businesses, and 25 percent of construc-tion jobs to City of Milwaukee employees.

“It’s a privilege to be part of a project that will redefine thecity’s skyline,” said Toma Goodbear, a speaker at today’s eventand City of Milwaukee carpenter. “The construction market certainly sees its ups and downs, especially in Wisconsin wherethe weather can be so unpredictable. It’s nice to be part of such

a long-term, stable, exciting project.”In addition to representatives working on the project,

speakers at the event included leadership from PotawatomiBingo Casino and the Forest County Potawatomi, as well asMilwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett and Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele. During the event, the final beam,signed by Potawatomi Bingo Casino team members, wasdropped into place by the project’s tower crane.

“This hotel will provide another opportunity for us to shineas Wisconsin’s premier entertainment destination,” said MikeGoodrich, Potawatomi Bingo Casino General Manager. “In addition to elevating our casino property to a new level, thehotel will serve as a new icon in Milwaukee and another chapter in the storied history of this property.”

Potawatomi Bingo Casino’s 18-story hotel will feature 381guest rooms, including 16 suites and a presidential suite on thetop floor. The smoke-free hotel will offer a full-service casualrestaurant, lobby bar, exercise area and more than 10,000 ft.of additional meeting space. A third parking structure with 1,400 parking stalls will be built east of the existing parkingstructures.

The hotel development will also be smoke-free and green,designed to include a number of environmentally friendly features integrated into the hotel’s construction and design.These include the use of recycled products and materials during construction, the incorporation of energy efficientmechanical, electrical and plumbing design strategies, an inno-vative storm water management system, the use of native plantspecies in the landscape design and other measures to aid theenvironment and control long-term costs.

Potawatomi Bingo Casino Marks Milestone With Topping-Off Ceremony for $150 Million Hotel

44 Indian Gaming November 2013

OPENINGS & EXPANSIONS

The Forest County Potawatomi Community (FCPC)announced the opening of its approximately $20 million facilitythat uses food and beverage processing waste as a fuel sourcethat will ultimately produce up to 2.0 megawatts (MW) of clean,green and renewable electricity. That’s enough energy topower about 1,500 homes while also providing waste heat forbeneficial reuse.

The plant, known as FCPC Renewable Generation Digester,is located one block west of the tribe’s Menomonee Valley casinoand uses a proprietary anaerobic digestion process to convertliquid organic waste, referred to as feedstock, into biogas. The feedstock is broken down into microorganisms in one oftwo 1.3 million gallon digester tanks. This process creates amethane gas that’s burned in an engine that produces renew-able electricity. The power will then be sold to We Energies.The facility also includes a combined heat power plant that canrecover heat from the biogas production process to provide hotwater and heating.

“Our tribe’s culture and traditions establish a duty to helpprotect and enhance environmental resources,” said PotawatomiChairman Gus Frank. “This project not only helps us meet ourenergy and sustainability goals, but is also important to the

region as it removes a waste stream while providing clean andrenewable power.”

“The FCPC Renewable Generation Digester helps Wisconsin food and beverage manufacturers dispose of feed-stock in an environmentally-friendly manner that enhances andachieves their sustainability goals,” added Jeff Crawford, thetribe's Attorney General and leader of FCPC Renewable Generation. “The facility will allow all involved to be both environmentally and fiscally responsible, which makes ourcommunity a better place to live and work.”

The FCPC Renewable Generation Digester received funding from the U.S. Department of Energy and Focus onEnergy. The tribe also partnered with several Wisconsin-basedcompanies on the development of this project including: MironConstruction Co. – overall project management and general contracting services; Symbiont, Inc. – balance of plant engineer-ing; Titus Energy – significant pre-development work and otherconsulting services; Greenfire Management Services, LLC., asubsidiary of Potawatomi Business Development Corporation– owner’s representative consulting services; and RockwellAutomation – Allen-Bradley motor controls. Additionally, General Electric’s Waukesha plant manufactured the facility’s twointernal combustion biogas engines. This is first U.S. deploy-ment of this engine model for use in continuous generation.

The construction of the renewable energy plant is part ofa broader $200 million investment the tribe has underway in the City of Milwaukee. This includes the recently opened $36 million Data Holdings data center in Milwaukee’s historicConcordia neighborhood and the $150 million, 381-roomhotel adjacent to Potawatomi Bingo Casino scheduled to openin summer 2014.

Wisconsin Lt. Governor Rebecca Kleefisch, MilwaukeeCounty Executive Chris Abele and Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett were among the one hundred guests at the facility tomark its official opening.

Forest County Potawatomi Opens $20 Million Renewable Energy Facility

The Stillaguamish Tribal Enterprise Corporation (STECO)recently announced that Angel of the Winds Casino in Arlington,WA, will begin immediate construction of a $20 million dollar, 125-room, five story hotel. The anticipated opening for

the hotel is scheduled for winter/spring 2015, which will createan additional 50 jobs for the community. A ground breaking ceremony was held last month.

“This is the next step in our growth of Angel of the WindsCasino,” stated Koran Andrews CEO of STECO, “We continue to look at what our guests want and develop thoseamenities.”

Shawn Yanity, Tribal Chairman, added, “We are trulyblessed to have an opportunity to add a hotel to our facility andprovide more services to our guests. Not only are we growingour tribal economy, but growing the local economy too byincreasing job opportunities and tourism.”

This expansion adds over 100,000 sq ft. onto the casino. Theexpansion will also add a new gift shop, smoke shop and porte-cochere that will centralize the guest’s entrance experience tothe property.

Angel of the Winds Announces Major Hotel Expansion

November 2013 Indian Gaming 45

A $110 million project to build a new casino in CherokeeCounty, NC is officially underway. A groundbreaking ceremony for the new Harrah's Casino was held today at thefuture site of the facility just outside the town of Murphy. Thecasino will be owned by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) and will be managed by Caesars Entertain-ment Corporation.

The EBCI already owns Harrah's Cherokee Casino Resort,which is located in the town of Cherokee, about an hour awayfrom the new casino site. The Cherokee County facility willfeature 60,000 sq. ft. of gaming space with slots and

traditional table games; a 300-room full service hotel; and avariety of dining options.

The casino will be located approximately two hours awayfrom Knoxville, Chattanooga and downtown Atlanta andwill serve the large and growing adult population livingwithin that radius. In 2011, 7.4 million people age 21 or olderlived within 2.5 hours of the casino site. Now, more than 7.6million adults live in that same area.

"Our winning partnership with Caesars Entertainmentgives us a proven track record in the gaming industry," saidPrincipal Chief Michell Hicks. "This is an ambitious project,but we are confident that it will be a success - for our customers, our tribe and for the surrounding community."

The games featured will include traditional favorites as wellas the most popular slot products available on the market whenthe casino opens.

"The Cherokee County casino will certainly bear the highstandards of the Caesar's name and brand," said Gary Loveman, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and Presidentof Caesars Entertainment Corporation. "We are an industryleader, and we implement the full expectations of that statusinto every facility we manage. Hopefully, that will translate intocontinued success for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indiansand the residents and other businesses of Cherokee County."

The casino will create an estimated 900 jobs on-site andinject up to $39 million in wages into the surrounding area.

Ceremonial Kick-Off Marks Beginning of $110 Million Project in Cherokee County, NC

L-R: Richard Sneed, Ray Rose and Paula Wojokowski of the Tribal CasinoGaming Enterprise Board, Vice Chief Larry Blythe, Tribal Council – BrandonJones, Bill Taylor (Vice Chair), David Wolfe, Alan B Ensley, Albert Rose andTommye Saunooke, Principal Chief (Mr.) Michell Hicks, and Tribal Councilmembers Gene Crowe, Adam Wachacha and Perry Shell.

Kickapoo Lucky Eagle Casino Hotel in Eagle Pass, TXis now even bigger with the recently completed casino expan-sion that includes exciting new hotel, gaming and diningoptions.

The casino expansion includes a brand new, full-servicedestination hotel with 249 well-appointed, spacious suites andguest rooms with views of the Rio Grande and surroundingSouth Texas landscape. Kickapoo Lucky Eagle’s hotel amenities

include a lobby bar, gift shop, outdoor pool (coming soon),fitness center, meeting rooms and a business center.

The expansion also includes a new fine dining restaurant,The Sage Steakhouse, where guests can enjoy regional specialties such as Certified Angus Beef steak aged 30 days,sip on the fine wines and dive into delectable desserts. Acrossfrom the steakhouse is the sleek High Limit Bar, a full-service bar adjacent to the new high limit gaming area.

“We’re excited to welcome our guests to the recentlyexpanded Kickapoo Lucky Eagle Casino Hotel, where winning is now even bigger!” said Robin Miller, General Manager at Kickapoo Lucky Eagle Casino Hotel. “Withexpanded gaming and dining options and a new hotel, Texasis now home to a first-class entertainment destination.”

The recent expansion also included over 1,000 new electronic games, a new private poker room with live-actionpoker games and Texas Hold ’Em tournaments and a newPlayers Club. Dining expansions included The Buffet, a250-seat restaurant featuring expanded food selections anddaily specials for lunch and dinner; the luxurious Center Bar– a full-service bar with room to relax right in the middle ofthe gaming action; and ¿Que Pasa? Lounge – an intimate barand lounge only steps away from the gaming floor with liveentertainment.

Kickapoo Lucky Eagle Casino Hotel Completes Casino/Hotel Expansion

46 Indian Gaming November 2013

OPENINGS & EXPANSIONS

4132 S. Rainbow Boulevard Suite 148, Las Vegas Nevada 89103, Phone: 702.220.4562 Fax: 702.220.9784 www.apmlasvegas.com

Navigating your path

Project Management / Scheduling / Project Controls / Earned Value Management / Consulting

A new partnership between a longtime home builder and alocal tribe is a welcome sign that shows the Palm Springseconomy is improving. The Agua Caliente Band of CahuillaIndians recently announced it has entered into an agreementwith The Rilington Group, a leader in the local home build-ing industry, to build 52 single-family homes on tribal trust landwithin the reservation.

Construction will begin this fall on the housing community,known as Vallera Palm Springs. The first phase of homes will be offered for sale in spring 2014. The project will helpinvigorate the local economy, bringing construction jobs andnew residents, who will live within walking distance to restau-rants, shopping, entertainment, the convention center andother services available in downtown Palm Springs.

The community will consist of detached, two-story homesranging from 1,650 - 2,040 sq. ft. Designs will include threefloor plans – each with three bedrooms (two downstairs and asecondary master suite upstairs), three bathrooms and a two-car garage. The home facades will have gabled dormers,balconies, covered ground floor patios and chimneys. Every

home will have a standard pool withavailable upgrades and an interiorcourtyard. The houses will be energy-efficient with solar and renewableenergy options and Energy Star appliances.

“We are excited to enter into thisagreement with the tribe,” said Mickie Riley, President ofThe Rilington Group. “Our company is dedicated to buildingthe highest quality homes and this community will provide anew selection of beautiful homes to those desiring to live nearthe convenient downtown Palm Springs area.”

Vallera Palm Springs will be the final phase of Village Traditions, a housing development located within the bound-aries of Section 14 of the reservation. The neighborhoodalready includes 24 condo-style residential units and a recre-ation center. The public streets surrounding the project includeRamon Road, Calle El Segundo and Via Saturnino.

Tribal Chairman Jeff L. Grubbe says he is also pleased aboutthe new agreement with Rilington homes. “Our shared visionfor this property will result in the addition of very attractive newhomes in this desirable neighborhood,” he said. “The Riling-ton Group has a solid history of building quality homes and com-munities in great locations throughout Southern California andthe Coachella Valley. This project represents a real sign our localhousing market is improving. Home building creates jobs andhelps drive economic growth.” ®

Agua Caliente Housing Project in Palm Springs to Spark Local Economy