Snoqualmie Tribe to proceed with casino construction after reaching agreement with city

June 2, 2022

The city of Snoqualmie agrees to a deal with the Snoqualmie Tribe which will help their casino expansion project. The Tribe asks for more wastewater flow and sewer services in exchange for financial compensation of $6.6 million. The city unanimously agreed to the terms and the deal was signed on Tuesday, May 31 at the city’s special council meeting.

The Tribe and the city have had an agreement since 2004 which is still in progress. The agreement dictated the city to provide police, fire, emergency services, and sewer utilities for the tribe as the casino was constructed.

Provisions from the deal were removed years after with deal extension and adding sewer capacity to the tribe. Though it was reenlisted in 2020 with a new extension deal of six years until November 2026. The Tribe immediately asks for additional services from the city for the casino and hotel project.

Since 2020, both groups work with each other to discuss amendments to the deal which resulted in the agreement on the sewer capacity increase approved last Tuesday.

The city plans to use the exchange from the Tribe for general facilities charges. It will also allocate the fund for aeration improvements and monthly wastewater rates for future city projects.

Robert de los Angeles, Tribal Chairman of Snoqualmie said the recognition status from the federal level in 1999 has bore benefits to both the Tribe and the community. Especially as the Tribe was since provided with education, health care, and housing.

β€œThrough the hard work and resilience of our Elders, the Snoqualmie Tribe regained its recognition in 1999. With our sovereignty recognized, we have continued to strengthen and preserve our cultural traditions, protecting our sacred places, healing our ancestral lands, and establishing enterprises that allow our Tribe to provide our families with education, health care, and housing while also giving back to the community,” said de los Angeles.

β€œThis next period of growth at the Snoqualmie Casino allows us to continue advancing those goals.”

The project

The Snoqualmie Tribe intended to expand its casino as well as construct a new hotel. The expansion will include adding a new gaming floor and more parking structures. It will also add a convention center with 2,000 seats, a spa, and three restaurants. The Tribe expects the new 210-room hotel to open in the fourth quarter of 2024, which is around 2.5 years as of present.

The Tribe will add cultural designs inspired by Snoqualmie culture into their expanded casino. The expansion will have a modernized slant roof for the new hotel which represents the longhouses of the ancestors at Snoqualmie Tribe. Cultural artworks will also be added to the resort as an homage to the Tribe.

The Tribe plans to save funds by hiring locals to work on their expansion and hotel projects. The project helps create new jobs for local contractors and other employment opportunities, especially for the Native American community and King County residents. Approximately, 500 new jobs are created for people in the region.

The Snoqualmie Tribe is the first group and the first tribe to open a casino that also served as a sportsbook agent, offering sports wagers in 2021 in the whole state of Washington.

Snoqualmie Casino was established in 2008 and is recognized regionally and nationally for its excellent commitment to guest experience, community impact, and workplace treatment. The casino is also popular for its location as the closest casino to Seattle.

Jake
Jake Williams
Jake Williams is a sports gambling expert. He's been writing in the sports betting and DFS industry for over a decade. He specializes in MLB and NBA, along with College Basketball and College Football.