Published June 2004

Stillaguamish break ground on $19 million casino

SCBJ Staff

In early May, the Stillaguamish Tribe broke ground on its new casino, a $19 million facility to be located on 35th Avenue NE northwest of Arlington.

The move marked a symbolic end to an 18-month battle that neighbors in this rural area have fought to stop the project.

The tribe’s land has federal trust status, which makes it largely immune from local zoning laws. If construction stays on schedule, the 22,000-square-foot casino could open by October, said Eddie Goodridge Jr., the tribe’s executive director.

Neighbors have dreaded the groundbreaking.

“We’re sad to see it happen,” said Ken Childress, one of the organizers of the opposition group No Dice. “We still believe that it’s going to negatively impact the lifestyle around here.”

But it could be worse, Childress said. “We’re really happy that it’s not as big as it was originally planned to be.”

An original proposal by the tribe was for an approximately 40,000-square-foot casino, but investors backed out last year after state regulators insisted on criminal background checks.

New investors, Marshall Bank of Minneapolis, were given the green light by state regulators in February.

Even with construction begun, Goodridge said he is still working on other locations for the casino. Once the casino earns enough money, the tribe might be able to finance such a move, he said.

“I’m still willing and wanting to move into the Smokey Point area preferably,” Goodridge said.

As for the 78 acres of additional land the tribe recently purchased off 55th Avenue NE, Goodridge said there are no plans to put a casino there.

That land, given federal trust status in February, is earmarked for tribal housing, Goodridge said.

The tribe chose to tear down its former federally subsidized housing at 35th Avenue NE to make room for the casino. It used loan money for the casino to relocate more than 25 families.

Once the casino starts making money, the tribe can eventually build new housing for other members at the 55th Avenue NE property, Goodridge said.

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