Plans for new casino in Wood Village move forward
Plans for new casino in Wood Village move forward
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The new casino, proposed by the Confederate Tribes of Grand Ronde, would sit directly north of the Wood Village Fred Meyer. Image courtesy Confederated Tribes of Grande Ronde.
Posted December 2020
Staff Editor
Wood Village is still expecting the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde to build a casino on the site of the old greyhound track, after two failed attempts in 2010 and 2012.
The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, who is behind the casino's potential inception, is developing a plan to accommodate a 120,000-140,000 square-foot casino. Wood Village Mayor T. Scott Harden has been a big advocate for a casino since joining the council in 2012, and has endorsed its construction this year. The plan is that it is funded by taxpayers.
"If you have a taxpaying casino that is popular, that people go to, then you are looking at permanent funding for permanent solutions to the homeless crisis," Harden said to KATU.
R & S Strategy Group, LLC, the contractor responsible the casino’s construction, announced that it has filed statewide initiatives that will provide permanent funding for the homeless and schools through voter approval of Oregon’s first taxpaying casino. On a 33-acre parcel, just north of I-84, R & S Strategy Group, LLC holds the Real Estate Purchase Option. Principals Matt Rossman and Bruce Studer met with Wood Village officials to discuss its development, to include a resort casino and entertainment center.
Homelessness, a nagging problem in Wood Village, was an enormous beneficiary for the construction of the casino. Schools would also get some money, but the plan is to fix the homeless problem not just in Wood Village, but statewide. It is planned that 70% of casino funds go to homeless programs, which would include supplying homeless Oregonians with necessary housing, job programs, and medicine.
“Permanent funding is critical if we’re going to effectively deal with homelessness.” Rossman said to KATU. “It is projected that the taxpaying casino will generate $100 million every year for homelessness programs and Oregon schools.”
By Oregon law, a casino can only be in the lands of a federally recognized tribe, so the law must be changed for the construction of the casino.
The Old greyhound track, the site of the proposed casino, was torn down in 2012.
The first proposed casino, complete with lodge and water park, was turned down by the Wood Village City Council in 2010.
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