New Arizona Casino: same economic impact as Super Bowl

In 2009 the Nation reviewed years of economic impact and feasibility studies on the property acquired in 2003 and decided to move ahead with its $600 million endeavor. Long before it was known that the Valley area would host this year’s NFL Super Bowl, tribal chairman Ned Norris, Jr., predicted, “This new venture will have the same economic impact as having a Super Bowl in the West Valley every two years.”

And the financial bottom line goes well beyond tribal doors. “More than 6,000 individuals will be employed during the construction phase, and, in addition to the hundreds of construction jobs, more than 500 permanent jobs will be created this year alone -- expanding to more than 3,000 permanent jobs as the rest of the complex is built out,” Norris said. “Hundreds of area businesses will be positively impacted by supplying services and supplying materials and, in turn, governments will bolster their tax base.”

In addition to a one-time payment of half a million dollars, the Tohono O’odham Nation will provide the City of Glendale with an estimated $26 million annually over a 20-year period. Positive economic impact from the construction to the tune of copy00 million in additional tax revenue will also be felt in other cities that surround the site.

Ground was officially broken in August 2014 and construction of the gaming facility is now fully underway with target completion in the second half of 2015. In one of the largest construction projects in recent years in the West Valley, with  construction expected to be completed by early 2016, the 1.2-million-square-foot state-of-the-art-facility will include a casino with 150,000-square-feet of gaming space, a 600-room resort hotel, a 3-acre enclosed atrium, an event center, restaurants, spas, retail outlets, and other amenities.

Once construction is complete, it will be the largest casino floor in the state, which will include more than 1,000 slots, 1,000 parking spaces, 2 restaurants, and a bar. In addition to the slots, there will be 50 table games, 25 poker tables, and a 1,000-seat bingo hall.

Heavy equipment moved into the former dairy farm property weeks ago to begin grading and once the dirt work was done, foundation work was begun. The site is expected to go vertical with steel work slated to get underway in early February, once the hub-bub  surrounding this year’s Super Bowl has quieted down.

When the full facility is officially open for business, it’s projected that 1.2 million visitors will come througheach year, bringing with them more than $300 million in new economic impact generated annually from the West Valley Resort property.