The Tohono O’odham Nation is moving forward on development of a new $500-million resort and casino in the West Valley of Phoenix despite opposition from several fronts.
该部落选择位于孟菲斯的Hnedak Bobo Group作为主要建筑师公司，该公司为位于凤凰城体育场和Glendale娱乐区附近的西谷度假村的初始渲染。
In addition to a large casino, which is at the heart of the controversy, the resort includes a spa, convention and meeting rooms, events center, retail space, restaurants and bars and a 3-acre enclosed atrium.
Numerous state and city of Glendale officials have spoken out against the project, including Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer and U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. In a letter released by The Arizona Republic in January, Brewer asked Tohono O’odham Nation Chairman Ned Norris Jr. to withdraw the application with the federal government, saying the project is inconsistent with the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act’s restrictions on off-reservation casinos. Brewer added that the project “significantly frustrates community relationships.”
The tribe purchased the land in 2003 and is now seeking its designation as part of the land mandated by Congress to replace tribal land flooded by the Painted Rock Dam west of Gila Bend, Ariz. Built in 1960, the dam is now in disuse, but the land is off limits due to DDT contamination.
尽管有反对派，但由Tohono O’Odham Nation委托进行的三月民意调查显示了该度假村的支持，赌场在西谷注册的选民中占68％。此外，最近的亚利桑那州众议院法案将授予格伦代尔市吞并未经同意的Tohono O’Odham土地的权利，并被亚利桑那州参议院停止了。
诺里斯说：“这项民意调查的结果验证了我们在西谷度假村（West Valley Resort）前进的努力，该项目将创造6,000个建筑工作和3,000多个永久性工作。”“我们仍然致力于与当地社区合作，以确保这一重要的经济发展项目向前发展。”
The tribe also filed suit last month against the U.S. Dept. of Interior for failing to finalize the site’s designation as tribal land in hopes that it would compel the department to act more quickly in taking the land into trust, thus freeing it for casino development.
