After opening just five years ago, the Grey Eagle Casino on the Tsuu T’ina First Nation is expanding, amid concerns about traffic.
Chief Sandford Big Plume held a news conference on Tuesday to announce some major new additions.
The $65 million expansion will include a 4.5 star hotel with 178 rooms, a 2,000 seat entertainment centre as well as conference and banquet facilities.
The expansion application filed earlier this year asked for both the casino’s gaming floor and restaurant to be increased by over 9,000 square feet.
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Construction will begin right away.
There are no plans to improve or change access to the facility from 37th Street and Glenmore Trail.
The Lakeview Community Association was involved in preliminary talks, but the size and the speed of the project has caught it off-guard.
“The casino has been a good neighbour so far and I hope that with communication and a good relationship, we can mitigate some of those impacts,” says Amy Lonsberry, president of the Lakeview Community Association. “They remain to be seen though.”
Mayor Nenshi promises the city will closely monitor the impact of the expansion at 37th Street.
“I anticipate while it will add volume to that interchange, there won’t be a call to the city to provide further funding. We don’t have any.”
The Tsuu T’ina First Nation has also revealed it is working towards a new deal for the southwest ring road.
Chief Sanford Big Plume says the latest round of talks with the province have never been more “encouraging.”
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