Colorado Indian News from: www.durangoherald.com
The Southern Ute Indian Tribe is moving forward with plans to build a new casino, hotel and convention center just north of Ignacio, with a planned spring 2008 opening.
For conceptual drawings of the project: http://www.3di.com/impact/SUIT. Click on "guest login."
The tribe announced Tuesday its go-ahead for the development, which includes a 45,000-square-foot casino with up to 700 slot machines, 20 table games, a 200-seat bingo hall, a 24-lane bowling center, day-care facilities, multiple restaurants and administrative offices.
The total development, located northeast of the intersection of Colorado Highway 172 and County Road 517, is expected to encompass approximately 300,000 square feet. It also will include a 150-room hotel with a pool and sun deck, retail space and a small fitness center.
Matt Olin, Sky Ute Casino general manager and chief operating officer, said it was too early to estimate the cost of building the facility. But he said it should initially employ 400 to 450 full-time workers. Revenue from the casino would go into the tribe's governmental fund.
But for Durango's business leaders, the most important aspect of the development may be its convention center with a capacity of 2,000.
Durango has tried to build a convention center for years, and in 1997 formed a Business Improvement District to get the idea moving.
Business leaders have identified a city-owned property at College Drive and Camino del Rio as a possible site, but they lack the capital funding to build a facility. They envision conventioneers staying multiple days in downtown hotels, while shopping, eating and injecting dollars into the downtown economy.
Jasper Welch, secretary to the Durango Business Improvement District, said a Durango facility would be preferable for BID, but an Ignacio facility would be better than none at all.
"In the big picture, additional meeting space is a good thing," better than conventioneers going to Phoenix or Santa Fe, he said.
John Wells, a BID board member and co-owner of the Durango real-estate brokerage The Wells Group, said the Ignacio facility is "good news."
"I expect that it's going to be an exceptionally nice facility and property," he said.
But Wells said Durango offers a different mix of restaurants, hotel beds and shopping to attract its own convention and events center. A Durango facility also could host local events such as the Durango High School prom, he said.
Plans also call for walking paths, an amphitheater for powwows and other cultural events, and a miniature golf course.
Tribal Chairman Clement J. Frost was out of town and could not be reached for comment. |
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