Idaho tribe to expand casino

Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2002 | 9:51 a.m.

LEWISTON, Idaho -- The Nez Perce Tribe is moving forward with plans to expand its Clearwater Casino now that a project to bring a city sewer line to the building is almost complete.

Nez Perce Tribal Executive Committee Chairman Samuel Penney made the announcement during a meeting to celebrate the cooperation between the city and the tribe during the sewer project.

Since the Clearwater Casino opened in 1996 in a tent-like building there has been speculation about the future of the site.

The sewer project was a preliminary step in a plan to construct a 100-room hotel by June 2003, Margerie Zarate, enterprise director for the tribe, said.

The three-star hotel will cost approximately $50 million and feature a convention center and a restaurant. It will replace the existing structure, which holds 450 gaming machines and a snack bar.

Penney said the project will expand the casino building, but not tribal gaming. The number and type of machines will not change.

archive