Casino ready for grand opening
November 6, 2008
By Ed Farrell
With mere hours to go before the grand opening of its new 170,000-square-foot gaming emporium, the Snoqualmie Tribe has the dice in its collective hands and a $375 million bet on the crisp, new felt of the craps table.
And the roulette wheels. And the smoke-free poker room. And the 1,700 state-of-the-art slot machines.
Slot machines at Snoqualmie Casino await tonight’s grand opening.
Yes, the Snoqualmie Casino is finally ready to open, and last-minute preparations are everywhere — and not just among the tribe and the 1,300 employees who will greet the first visitors starting at 10 p.m. tonight.
Local law enforcement have been planning for what is expected to be the largest traffic jam in local history with projections of as many 30,000 people converging on tiny two-lane North Bend Way within the first 24 hours of the casino’s operations.
“I don’t know about those numbers,” Gina Brodie, of the casino’s marketing team, said Monday afternoon while guiding a reporter through the sea of workers diligently wiping, shining, stacking and arranging their way through the orchestrated chaos that was the scene in the bowels and open areas of the majestic casino.
“I think that’s all speculation. At this point, no one really knows.”
North Bend Police Chief Joe Hodgson isn’t hedging his bets.
“The city is expecting significant traffic impacts,” Hodgson said in a recent press release.
“The Snoqualmie Casino is expecting 10,000 to 30,000 visitors during the first 24 hours of operation. Both Bendigo and North Bend Way may be significantly impacted as visitors travel through town to and from I-90 at Exit 31.”
Snoqualmie Police Chief Jim Schaffer and his department are more concerned with impacts at Exit 27, the most direct access point to the Snoqualmie Indian Reservation and its casino operation.
“Starting by noon (today), avoid eastbound I-90 at Exit 27,” was Schaffer’s warning to locals who are not interested in tempting Lady Luck in all her various and sundried ways available at the casino.
“We’re going to have extra patrols and will be staffing the command post,” Schaffer said. “If there’s any way people can find to avoid that interchange, that will really help out.”
Schaffer said responsibility for what occurs on the reservation is the providence of the one-man tribal police force; outside the main entrance falls into the jurisdiction of the King County Sheriff’s Office. Once I-90 comes into play, it’s the Washington State Patrol’s area of responsibility.
“We’re mainly concerned with the traffic on two roads where we feel there could be problems: Meadowbrook Way and the (Snoqualmie) Parkway,” Schaffer said.
Aside from the potential of illegal parking and traffic jams on city streets, Schaffer said he fears the casino could experience capacity problems, which only further exacerbates the traffic concerns.
At a recent meeting of the city’s Public Safety Committee, Schaffer and Fire Chief Bob Rowe — who is responsible for fire and medical emergency concerns at the casino, under terms of an agreement between the city and the Snoqualmie Tribe — said the casino capacity is rated at only 4,800 people.
The casino only has 2,680 parking spots available, Rowe said in his report to the committee, and no more than 2,700 cars will be allowed on the casino property at any one time.
Casino officials have said they will open the gates to parking at 9 p.m. tonight, but law enforcement and other public safety officials consider it almost a certainty that once the available parking is filled, vehicles being turned away from the casino can only serve to make an already bad situation even more untenable.
“We’re just going to have to wait and see,” Schaffer said.
On Monday, however, casino employees weren’t interested in talking about traffic problems.
Visitors to the facility were guided to the lower-level employee parking lot and driven to the casino proper by a never-ending fleet of shuttle buses.
Lines of potential employees who were being led by groups into the human resources department were met with other groups of workers toting colored uniforms bearing the casino’s distinctive half-moon logo.
In the Lit, the casino’s high-end cigar lounge, two workers were spotted taking a break at the lounge’s bar until Brodie walked in and they sprang back to life, offering a quick visit to the fully-stocked humidor where the sweet, heady aroma of fine tobacco emanated from boxes of cigars, many of which bore prices in the $100-plus price range.
Finely prepared food was on display at more than one of the casino’s several dining facilities as Brodie explained that the only way to ensure the casino’s hallmark cuisine offerings were up to the test of opening day was to put the legions of cooks, chefs, sauciers and servers through their paces early.
Brodie was quick to point out the thickly padded seating accommodations awaiting Friday’s Jessica Simpson performance in the casino’s Grand Ballroom, and racks of guitars and other instruments were already visible in the Sno Lounge, where visitors will be able to enjoy a drink, music and a stunning view of Mount Si while taking a break from the sea of gambling opportunities just a few steps away.
“We’re ready to go,” Brodie said, with a confidence matched by Hodgson, Schaffer and Rowe.
Now, it just remains to be seen if the Snoqualmie can pull off its greatest gamble since Chief Pat Kanim placed his name on the Treaty of Point Elliot in 1855.
Reach reporter Ed Farrell at efarrell@snovalleystar.com or 392-6434.
Comments
9 Responses to “Casino ready for grand opening”
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I hate to say it but I hope this place fails and fast. They’ve ruined traffic, its an eyesore for those of us who live across the valley from it or next to it. And now the bonus – I came home from work tonight and can hear their ventilation system from across the valley. IN MY HOUSE. It sounds like I live next to an airport. I feel so sorry for the poor souls that have to live next to that monstrosity.
The thing that really gets me is no other business or residence in the area is able to get away with breaking the rules but because its the Indians, they do. I don’t see how screwing over one group of people – the residents – to help another group is any good.
Good riddance.
Congratulations to the Snoqualmie Tribe from a Haida Indian. I hope that your businesses prosper and that your people thrive on the benefits. Don’t be discouraged by negetive comments. It’s great that 1300 new jobs have been developed during these tough economic times.
Sincerely,
Cheryl Dodson
Well if you don’t like the noise,, then sell out! I do believe they were here first, and you are probably living on there burial grounds!
This casino is beautiful and has brought 1300 jobs to the area,
Do you remember when I-90 went through town? and what happened when they moved it? The town almost died! When Lazy W shut down, it crippled the economics,,, I take it , you moved here from Cali. or Mercer Island,, the freeway still goes West to I-5
You go Snoqualmie Tribe,, I hope someday you can buy the whole valley back!
Sorry Nick, I don’t come from Cali or MI – I come from the Valley. Born and raised. Unlike you I’m sure.
And the land the casino is on isn’t even really Indian land – they had to petition the government to give it to them so they could build the casino. They should have built it down by Nintendo away from houses, but no – let’s build a casino a block from a residential area. What genius! And let’s not do any noise testing to see how the sound of the giant ventilation system will echo throughout the valley. That’ll show ‘em!
And guess how many Indians are actually working at the casino? 100. Out of 1300 people. I doubt most of those employees are even from the Valley. Every member of that tribe should be required to work at the casino or not get a check. The money they raise is not going back to the towns like Snoqualmie, its going to the tribe.
I was born and raised there,, worked at Lazy W,, My Grand pa lived and worked at the Preston Mill for 55 years,, my Mom wa sborn in Monahon,,so I have been around,,,maybe not right now but the money will come back to help the towns,, The tribe bought the almost close-up Hospital, $30million, for the WHOLE valley, they have 2 clinics in the valley,, How about low-cost transportation, for everyone, run on bio fuel!
of course the mill didn’t make noise,, nor did the freeway when it went through town.
Did you go to all the meetings and express your concerns of noise or traffic?
to little to late,, get used to it! the hotel is coming next year
The reason only 100 tribal members work at the casino is because that’s the amount of Snoqualmie tribal members there are. We wiped out the rest. And the reason they had to petition the government for land that was THEIRS to begin with was because the government terminated their status earlier in the 20th century and took their lands away from them. Maybe you should educate yourself before you start complaining.
Growing up in the sno-valley for years, from North Bend to Carnation and inbetween. How many Indians really have the Snoqualmie Status as being true Snoqualmie Indians,I would like to See A true investagation.I never have seen more than a few True Indians living in the valley for Many years.I have read History stories from the snoqualmies, And I would wonder how true this tribe is anymore. 600 Members, who investagtes these people? as Being true Snoqualmies.375 million$$ for 600 Indian Members. I think This is Very unfair to other trides in the Pacific Northwest,Who Are legit.There Are Snoquailmies But How Many is the question.I would like to see Donations to less fortunet Tribes who dont have theses Casinos and give them a fare playing field.
Regarding Anne Marie’s comment, “…I don’t see how screwing over one group of people – the residents – to help another group is any good…” Can you see the irony in this statement?! Educate yourself indeed.
Well, I for one think it’s a great idea. It’s not only a beautiful place, but also provides 1300 jobs and much needed revenue to our area, it gives my old girl friend and her ex husband a place where they can go and have some fun,a place to get re-acquainted again while listening to the melodic sounds of coins hitting the metalic catch pans of the slot machines.
I’m looking forward to the Texas hold-em tables, lots of good places to eat, the cigar bar, the wine bar, and the entertainment facility…
I wish the Snoqualmie Casino great prosperity~
Long time resident,
H. Sparks