Posts tagged: Airway Heights
In case you didn't know, tonight is the public hearing hosted by the Bureau of Indian Affairs regarding the Spokane Tribe's impact statement for a proposed casino and resort on the edge of Airway Heights.
The hearing starts at Sunset Elementary School in Airway Heights. The map shows the location. It starts at 6 p.m.
If you go expect plenty of back and forth on how and why this is either a good jobs-producing proposal or a dangerous precedent and a likely encroachment on Fairchild Air Force Base. Officially and completely honestly, OfficeHours is taking no sides on this issue. We wish both sides stick the facts and avoid overblown rhetoric.
For a summary of the proposal and the EIS, it's at this link.
Worth blogging here is the John Stucke story from today on expansion plans by Rockwood Clinic, of Spokane:
The fast-growing clinic will open a family health care center, with three providers – including at least one physician – in a new location in Airway Heights.
Two officials with the Spokane Tribe of Indians Thursday predicted their proposed West Plains casino-hotel could be ready for business sometime in 2013.
Tribe Chairman Greg Abrahamson and Vice Chair Mike Spencer told a West Plains Chamber of Commerce group they hoped the doors would open in “2 to 2 ½ years.”
But they also noted it’s not a done deal. The tribe first has to obtain federal approval and then get the OK from Washington state.
Tribal leaders have submitted a request to the Department of Interior to build a casino and resort on 145 acres of trust land the tribe acquired near Airway Heights in 1998.
The Kalispel Tribe, which operates the nearby Northern Quest casino, has said it opposes allowing the Spokanes to build a casino on non-reservation land. The Kalispels were able to build their casino-resort on land it bought and then later was designated tribal reservation land by the federal government.
Abrahamson said the proposed project, called STEP, for Spokane Tribe Economic Project, would generate 1,200 jobs when completed. Only one-fourth of those jobs would go to tribal workers, he noted.
He also said the first phase of the job would be completing the casino. The remaining components of the multiuse project would be phased in over a few years.
On the map, the proposed site sits north and west of Craig Road along Highway 2, on land adjacent to Airway Heights.
The Spokesman-Review business team follows economic development in Spokane and the Inland Northwest.
Tom Sowa Tom Sowa covers technology, retail and economic development and writes the Office Hours blog.
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John Stucke John Stucke's primary coverage areas include health care, agriculture and the labor market.
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Becky Kramer Becky Kramer covers the environment, natural resources and utilities.
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Alison Boggs Online Producer Alison Boggs posts and manages content on spokesman.com and its social networking accounts.
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Scott Maben Scott Maben is a Deputy City Editor who covers North Idaho news and higher education.
Addy Hatch is the city editor, and formerly was business editor.
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