California Casino to Add Hotel, Double Size Of Resort
What is already one of the largest and most profitable casino resorts in California, Graton Resort and Casino in Rohnert Park, is only going to get bigger, including a new six-story hotel tower.
“It’s sort of the icing on the cake,” according to Greg Sarris, chairman of the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria, who own the casino that Station Casinos, operates in Northern California.
He announced a $175 million expansion last week. The expansion will include 200 more hotel rooms, a spa, meeting room, convention space and more than doubling of the total footprint to 782,000 square feet. The tribe will be able to finance the expansion with a refinance of its original construction loan.
The casino currently has 3,000 slots, 130 gaming tables and a live poker room. It puts on concerts and special events in an 8,700 square foot events center.
It is located in a prime location for tapping much of the Bay Area, being less than an hour’s drive from downtown San Francisco.
The project is phase 2 of the original master plan. “The tribe’s vision and Station Casinos’ desire to offer a resort with full amenities,” according to Graton General Manager Joe Hasson. The Friedmutter Group designed the expansion. PENTA Building Group will be the general contractor.
Construction is expected to be completed in about 12 months and utilize about 1,000 workers. About 200 permanent positions will be added.
The original $800 million casino resort opened two years ago to considerable controversy, include predictions that it would create gridlock on the scenic Highway 101, generate crime and strain existing infrastructure in the town of Rohnert Park.
Those predictions did not happen. According to Sarris what did happen was “a huge boon to the local economy.” Another dire prediction was that the casino would suck the surrounding aquifer dry, but so far no wells have tried up, partially because the tribe is using a lot of reclaimed water, and employs drought-resistant plants for landscaping.
The casino resort is located in California’s wine country with several golf courses. Guests frequently request information on where to spend the night and Graton is currently referring them to other hotels in the area. Hasson told the Las Vegas Review, “The simple answer is that we need rooms and it’s one of the expectations of our guests. This expansion allows us to become a full-scale destination resort.”
