After approval of a long-awaited liquor license on August 11, on Friday the Tohono O’odham Nation will reportedly break ground on a $400 million expansion project at its Desert Diamond West Valley Casino and Resort in Glendale’s Westgate Entertainment District.
The Arizona tribe opened the venue on December 20, 2015, having been only approved to serve non-alcoholic beverages and offer Class II gaming. However, after years of legal wrangling and a costly lawsuit settlement with the state of Arizona, the tribe will be able to add some key amenities that will help to make its West Valley venue more competitive.
In addition to the 1,089 slots the casino currently offers, the upcoming makeover that will transform the venue into a 1 million square foot full-scale resort casino, will include enlarging its current 35,000 square feet casino floor to as much as 150,000 square feet, increasing the slot count, adding 50 table games, 25 poker tables, a 1,000-seat bingo hall, hotel rooms, five restaurants, bars and more.
According to Indianz.com, the remake will kick off on Friday with a groundbreaking ceremony and factoring in about 20 months of construction, the expansion should be completed by early 2019.
The Tohono O’odham Nation already own and operate gaming facilities in Tucson, Sahuarita, and Why, Arizona.