Enterprise Rancheria and Hard Rock held a topping off ceremony for their new Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Sacramento resort. After a two-decade effort to bring a casino in Yuba County, California, the Estom Yumeka Maidu Tribe (Enterprise Rancheria) placed the final beam on what would operate as Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Sacramento at Fire Mountain at a special ceremony on Wednesday. Thunder Valley Casino and Resort in Lincoln tried to block the Yuba County project, but failed. Even still, it says it’s ready for the new competition. In the last year, Thunder Valley spent $56 million to upgrade the facade of the hotel as well as add a poker room and bingo hall. The Fire Mountain Casino project sits on 40 acres of tribal land owned by Enterprise Rancheria in a Yuba County area zoned off for Sports & Entertainment. The tribe is partnering with Hard Rock Cafe International chain. Yuba County’s Enterprise Rancheria tribe broke ground in early April on their new Fire Mountain Casino. It will be located about 30 minutes north of Lincoln, near the Toyota Amphitheatre. The casino will be a fairly modest 50,000 sq. Of gambling space and the tribe’s Class II license will limit them to electronic bingo. A recent announcement may mean plans could move forward for a new Indian Casino in Yuba County. Enterprise Rancheria has partnered with Hard Rock International to build the multi-use casino.

New Casino In Yuba County

The federal government has provided its approval for a new casino in Yuba County, partially thanks to the Estom Yumeka Maidu tribe’s memorandum of understanding with the County and Marysville when it comes to mitigating any potential impacts from its construction. The tribe first proposed the project nine years ago and now that the federal government is on board, it will come down to Gov. Jerry Brown for the plan to continue to move forward, as land must be taken into trust. While the tribe is technically based in Oroville, a casino was proposed for Yuba County because the tribe felt land available in Butte County was unsuitable. Glenda Nelson, tribal chair for the Maidu, commented that “I think the decision was an important step in the process, but several steps remain. It's taken a long time, but we feel it's been important to go through every step.” It is estimated that the casino will cost $150 million. The Bee reports:

Yuba County Recorder

“In 2002, the Yuba County Board of Supervisors signed an agreement to receive $83 million over 20 years if the casino is built. The city of Marysville stands to receive $4.8 million over 15 years from the project. Critics have blasted the casino plan as ‘reservation shopping,’ with the tribe seeking to develop the gambling resort 36 miles from its land in Oroville. In 2005, Yuba County voters rejected the casino plan in an advisory measure by 52 percent to 48 percent. But Yuba County Supervisor Mary Jane Griego said searing unemployment in the region has generated renewed support for a casino and potentially thousands of jobs. ‘This is the news of the century as far as I'm concerned,’ Griego said. ‘This project is going to make a significant difference.’”

New Casino Yuba County

While the casino would be outside the tribe's existing reservation, the feds noted in their approval that the tribe met the right qualifications and the casino would be in a 'sports and entertainment' zone in the county. The next and more critical step is forming a gaming compact with the state. Assemblyman Dan Logue, R-Lake Wildwood, believes the casino goes against the desires of local residents, but jobs and economic development may trump all other concerns in cash-strapped California.