Sandia casino construction continues despite lawsuit

Monday, June 26, 2000 | 10:02 a.m.

"We have some concerns, but business is business, and construction will go on as planned," Gov. Stuwart Paisano said last week.

The new casino - planned to be as large as four football fields - is on track to open in May 2001. Construction on the 200,000-square-foot casino began last November.

"We do have the potential economic impact on jobs to consider," Paisano said.

About 80 percent of the jobs are held by local residents, who are not necessarily tribal members, he said.

Earlier this month, Attorney General Patricia Madrid sued 12 tribes, including Sandia, because they refused to turn over the required 16 percent of their slot machine revenue to the state.

She wants the tribes to pay or shut down their casinos. Madrid argues that revenue-sharing required under 1997 compacts between the state and tribes is legal, but has asked a judge to throw out the entire compacts - and not just the revenue-sharing portion - if he disagrees.

When completed, Sandia's casino will employ more than 1,500, said pueblo spokeswoman Stephane Poston. The current casino employs about 800 people. The pueblo employs about 1,300 people in all of its enterprises.

The casino project will include a bingo hall that will seat 850, the largest poker hall in the state, up to 1,200 slot machines, a 250-seat buffet restaurant, an entertainment lounge, meeting space and a gift shop. The casino grounds will have a grass amphitheater that could seat about 3,000.