Spokane Tribe Casino breaks ground on expansion project to double its size

The Spokane Tribe has broken ground on an expansion project that will double the size of its casino in Airway Heights.

In a news release Monday, the Spokane Tribe announced construction for the expansion project began earlier this month with demolition of the casino’s east parking lot.

The expansion project calls for 20,000 square feet of additional gaming space, a new restaurant and doubling the size of Whaluks, an existing bar in the casino area. The casino will also expand its nonsmoking section, according to the news release.

Spokane Tribe Casino Marketing Director Christopher Marzotto said the Spokane Tribe had planned to break ground on the casino expansion earlier this year, but financing was delayed amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Nearly 300 construction and casino jobs will be created as a result of the expansion project.

Construction is slated for completion in late 2021, with additional amenities and expansion plans for the Spokane Tribe Casino to be announced next year, according to the news release.

Warner Gaming, which operates the casino, will spearhead development of the expansion project. Swinerton Builders of Spokane is the project contractor. The Minnesota-based Cuningham Group is designing the expansion.

The Spokane Tribe has added a café and nonsmoking section to the casino since opening in 2018.

The casino expansion is the second phase of the Spokane Tribe’s Economic Development Plan that calls for a hotel, cultural center, entertainment venue and retail shops on the 145-acre site on U.S. Highway 2.

The casino complex will eventually support more than 5,000 jobs with an annual payroll of nearly $66 million, according to a 2018 Spokesman-Review article.The Spokane Tribe’s casino expansion comes after the Kalispel Tribe’s recent announcement that it’s breaking ground next year on a new hotel wing with 200 rooms at Northern Quest Resort & Casino in Airway Heights.