Gov. Inslee's approval was the final approval for the project which has been a hot topic in the Spokane area over the last few years due to it's proximity of Fairchild AFB where some have argued a new casino could make Fairchild a target for future rounds of military base closures. It is also highly note-worthy that this new Casino will actually be the second Casino in Airway Heights with the Kalispel Tribe of Indians still operating their Northern Quest Resort & Casino on Hayford Rd. on the northeast side of the Spokane suburb.
As of the post time there is no construction timeline for the Spokane Tribe's new Casino, however we have been told the Tribe is mostly ready to start the project. The Casino, which will be operated by the Spokane Tribe will be affiliated with the Hard Rock chain of Restaurants and Casino's that operate in mostly tourist hot spots around the world. Because the campus of this project is large we can only assume this also means Hard Rock Café Spokane is also coming along with the project. The Project will be on a 145 acre site at the corner US 2 & Craig Rd. where the Spokane Tribe has already built their SpokoFuel / Arby's travel plaza. Here is a look a rendering of the project-
The new Casino does raise some questions, but in the end is promising to bring thousands of jobs and big local investment. The Casino will be the centerpiece of the development, that has been dubbed STEP Spokane ( Spokane Tribe Economic Project ) but won't be the only thing included. STEP Spokane's site will also host...
- Tribal Cultural Center
- Wellness Center
- Resort style hotel with indoor water park
- Food Court
- First class Spa
- New police and fire station for the City of Airway Heights
The site will also be partially be developed into a lifestyle style shopping center with several pad sites for many new business, some even being big box retailers also bringing in large amounts of new jobs. It is estimated that the STEP Spokane project, built out completely could create upwards of 5,000 ne jobs!
Gov. Inslee says he based his approval of this project on a legal review and discussions with local business leaders and leaders with the Air Force. Fairchild AFB never took an official stance on the project and only a few continue to speak out against the project.
We expect to hear more about STEP Spokane in the coming months so stay tuned and visit the project's website at-
http://www.stepspokane.com
And, find them on Facebook at-
http://www.facebook.com/stepspokane
