Groundbreaking Marks New Era For North Fork Mono Tribal Casino And Local Community Development
On Saturday, ground was broken for the future site of the North Fork Mono Casino & Resort. This $400 million property, slated for completion in 2026, will be owned by the North Fork Rancheria of Mono Indians of California and developed in partnership with Station Casinos, based in Las Vegas (NASDAQ: RRR).
Hundreds of tribal citizens, community members, and representatives from Station Casinos gathered for the ceremony held on the tribe’s federal trust land, located about 25 miles northwest of Fresno, California.
The project was first envisioned in 2003 when the tribe sought 305 acres of land along Highway 99. In 2011, the US Secretary of the Interior approved the project under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, and two years later, the state-tribal gaming compact was negotiated and ratified by then-Governor Jerry Brown.
Legal challenges from various activists, local businesses, and other casino interests delayed the project between 2013 and 2017, but these were overturned by the California Supreme Court in August 2020.
“Today’s groundbreaking represents the culmination of over 20 years of careful collaboration between our sovereign nation and various governmental partners,” said Fred Beihn, North Fork Rancheria tribal chair. “We honor the tribal leaders before us and extend our gratitude to regional leaders who supported our mission to improve the quality of life for our citizens and the surrounding community.”
Pre-construction is already in progress for the 100,000-square-foot casino, to be located at 17770 Golden State Blvd. in Madera, California.
The North Fork Mono Casino will feature 2,000 slot machines, 40 table games operating 24/7, two full-service restaurants, six quick-service dining outlets, 3,000 parking spaces, and complimentary valet service.
Station Casinos has previously managed three tribal casinos:
— Thunder Valley Casino Resort near Sacramento, Calif., owned by the United Auburn Indian Community,
— Graton Resort & Casino near Santa Rosa, Calif., owned by the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria, and
— Gun Lake Casino near Grand Rapids, Mich., owned by the Gun Lake Tribe of Pottawatomi Indians.
In each instance, the tribes assumed management of the casinos after their contracts with Station ended.