Spokane Tribe releases name, logo for new casino development in Airway Heights

The mirror image of two horses, representing the past and future of the Spokane Tribe of Indians, will be the symbol of the tribe’s casino project.

The tribe unveiled the logo Wednesday during a job fair near the site of the new development, which has been named “Spokane Tribe Casino.” In a news release, the tribe explained the decision behind the red and blue horses and other symbols in the logo, as well as the name for the project.

“Our ancestral homelands spread across more than 3 million acres, including Airway Heights and much of the Spokane region,” Carol Evans, chairwoman of the Spokane Tribal Business Council, said in the release. “This name honors our heritage, our history and our ties to the land.”

Construction on the development began late last year, beginning with a casino that will feature 450 gaming machines, 12 gaming tables, a full-service restaurant, an express deli and a gaming-floor bar, according to the tribe. The casino is expected to open later this year. An entertainment venue, hotel, cultural center and police and fire station will be built later. The entire resort is expected to cost $400 million.

The tribe’s plans for a casino have met opposition from the Kalispel Tribe of Indians, which operates Northern Quest Resort and Casino about 3 miles to the northeast, and Spokane County commissioners, who announced Tuesday they’d sue the federal government over its approval of the new development. The Kalispels have also filed a lawsuit to block the project.

County commissioners say the development threatens operations at nearby Fairchild Air Force Base, but the installation has taken a neutral stance on the project. Proponents, including Spokane City Council President Ben Stuckart, argue the project will bring new jobs to the area without imperiling Fairchild in any future round of base closures.

The logo features the two horses, separated by three arrow points representing the lower, middle and upper branches of the Spokane tribe, according to the news release. The arrow in the “A” of Spokane represents “both the good luck of a winning streak and future prosperity for the tribe and the region,” the tribe said in the release.

The tribe said negotiations with Hard Rock on the branding of the future casino/hotel are ongoing, and are not part of the first phase of construction.

Wednesday’s job fair was intended to draw construction workers for the development.