Rohnert Park casino could cost $1 billion, tribe says

<p>A proposed luxury casino resort for Rohnert Park could cost $1 billion or more, according to tribal leaders.</p><p>Greg Sarris, chairman of the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria, said Friday that anticipated construction costs are rising sharply while the tribe waits to clear regulatory hurdles at the state and federal levels.</p><p>A tribal decision to build a more costly certified "green" facility is another factor, accounting for up to one-third of the potential costs.</p><p>"We're paying a premium, but it will be done right," Sarris said.</p><p>The escalating costs, however, don't signal any expansion of current tribal plans, he said.</p><p>"If we tried to do that at this point, it would be even more costly because of the additional environmental studies and time that would be required," Sarris said.</p><p>The tribe plans a 300-room hotel, spa and casino with a 1,000-seat convention center and Broadway-style theater.</p><p>Station Casinos of Las Vegas, the tribe's partner in the Rohnert Park project, originally estimated the cost of the casino resort at $600 million to $650 million.</p><p>The costs could go higher as more time passes before construction. "A year or two from now, if someone says the costs are running $1.5 billion, I won't be surprised," Sarris said.</p><p>There is no firm construction start date yet because of pending regulatory review of the project's environmental studies, he said.</p><p>In addition, Sarris said the casino site has to be placed in federal trust before any negotiations for a gambling compact can begin with state officials.</p><p>"Trying to establish a firm time frame now is not possible," Sarris said.</p><p>Federal review of environmental studies for the project is expected to be completed by April.</p><p>You can reach Staff Writer Mike Geniella at 462-6470 or mgeniella@pressdemocrat.com</p>