Cherokees approve $650M casino plan |
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Wed, 31 Jan 2007 22:39
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CHEROKEE, N.C. (AFX) - The principal chief of the Eastern Band of Cherokees gave final approval Wednesday to a $650 million expansion and renovation of the tribe's hotel and casino resort.Construction is scheduled to begin this fall and will last until 2012. The project will add a hotel tower, a spa, a 3,000-seat showroom, retail stores, restaurants and additional gaming space to the casino.'We continue to expand our enterprises through progressive business practices and sound long-term strategies,' said Principal Chief Michell Hicks.The expansion will add about 1,000 jobs to a complex that already employs about 1,800 people and increase the number of video gaming machines from 3,400 to 5,200. The number of hotel rooms will nearly double to about 1,100 rooms.Harrah's Cherokee Casino and Hotel, owned by the Cherokees and managed by Harrah's Entertainment Inc., is located 50 miles west of Asheville at the entrance of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.Revenue from the resort brings about $155 million annually for the tribe. Half of that money pays for government services and infrastructure, while the other half is divided into equal payments for each of the tribe's 13,500 members.Copyright 2006 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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Cherokees approve $650M casino plan 