The TON has been knocking at Glendale's door since January 2009, when the O’odham Nation first announced the community's gaming plans for a West Valley casino. Sush a casino, right off the Loop 101, would create untold competition for the Gila River Indian Community, a tribe that currently has the West Valley's only casino -- Vee Quiva Hotel & Casino about 25 miles away from the proposed site of the TON's resort-style casino.
The U.S. Department of the Interior's Bureau of Indian Affairs had to first determine that the parcel owned by the Nation was not "within" Glendale -- it's an unincorporated piece of land in Maricopa County. One that Glendale has never collected taxes from or provided city services to.
Then after a slew of lawsuits filed by the TON's opponents, including the Gila River Indian Community and the State of Arizona, making the DOI's decision was a point of contention.
The casino that has stirred so much controversy in recent years is now moving closer to reality with approval from U.S. Department of Interior for land at 99th and Northern avenues to be taken into trust by the southern Arizona tribe.
The O’odham Nation announced Monday the pick of Hunt Construction Group and Penta Building Group to build its $500 million casino in the West Valley near University of Phoenix Stadium.
It should take about 18 months for the casino portion of the development to be completed after construction starts, said Libby Francisco, COO of the Tohono O’odham Gaming Enterprise, although the specific start date is still unknown.
The O’odham’s West Valley resort will be built in three phases with a casino, restaurants and parking garage up first followed by a planned 400-room resort hotel, spa and convention space in the second phase. Francisco said the third phase would include additional hotel rooms.
When complete, it will total 1-million-square-feet.
The Dallas-based company, Hunt, built the University of Phoenix Stadium and the Twin Arrows Resort and Casino for the Navajo Nation in Flagstaff. Penta, a Las Vegas-based company has built casinos both in Nevada and for other U.S. tribes.
Hunt and Penta are also currently working together on the new $375 million Las Vegas Arena for MGM International.
The first construction phase for TON is expected to employ 3,500 workers with the casino employing 3,000 permanent jobs.
The O’odham Nation also announced the services of Rider Levett Bucknall and Summit Project Management of Phoenix to serve as its representatives during the casino’s construction.