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Another step is being taken for the Catawba Two Kings Casino Resort project in Kings Mountain, this time with the potential rezoning of surrounding land for development. On Tuesday evening, the.

The Catawba Nation held a groundbreaking ceremony on July 22, 2020, to mark the start of construction on its new $273 million casino in Kings Mountain, North Carolina. After years of on-again, off-again efforts, the Catawba Indians plan to break ground Wednesday on a nearly $300 million casino 35 miles from Charlotte in Kings Mountain. The debate about the Catawba Indian Nation casino project in Kings Mountain continues,even as construction on the project is underway. Now, the land surrounding the casino site, which could be ripe.

As a casino in Kings Mountain becomes more of a reality, people are still fighting to stop it from happening.

The Catawba Indian Nation broke ground on the gaming facility on Wednesday, marking the start of something new after years of debate on whether or not it would come. Catawba Indian Nation Chief Bill Harris says the casino isn’t just coming, it’s here.

“Work begins today toward more prosperity, increased opportunities, and a renewed bond between the Catawba Indian Nation and the great state of North Carolina,” Harris said. “Let’s get started.”

Here are things to keep in mind as the project moves forward.

Economic impact

A new February 2020 economic impact assessment from London & Associates, shows that the casino resort project will represent a $273-million investment in Cleveland County.

Project construction activity will generate $311 million with the employment of 2,347 people from direct, indirect and induced effects.

Once operational, the Catawba facility will generate $308 million per year of direct economic activity and employ 2,600 workers, the study projected. An additional $77.3 million per year in indirect impact through purchases from local business is also anticipated along with another $42.8 million per year in induced impact from employer expenditures.

2013: Catawba Nation began the process to secure 16 acres of land in the Nation’s service area within Cleveland County for the development of an entertainment resort destination. Cleveland County and the city of Kings Mountain supported the efforts.

2014-2020: The United States Bureau of Indian Affairs looks into the Catawba Nation’s petition for putting the land into trust.

2019: United States Senators Richard Burr, Lindsey Graham and Thom Tillis encourage the request to accept 16 acres of land into trust for the Catawba Indian Nation.

March 2020: 16.57 acres of land on Dixons School Road are acquired in the name of the United States of America in Trust for the Catawba Indian Nation.

April 2020: Bureau of Indian Affairs approved leasing regulations under the HEARTH Act of 2012, meaning the Tribe can enter into business leases without further BIA approval.

April 2020: The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians file a lawsuit in hopes of stopping the Catawbas from building. It is denied in federal court. The Cherokees continue with a lawsuit against the United States Department of Interior for granting the land into trust for the Catawba Nation.

July 2020: The Catawba Indian Nation hosts a groundbreaking ceremony for the gaming facility.

The total effect is 3,579 jobs attributed to casino activity.

The casino is expected to open by summer 2021, and will initially feature approximately 1,300 machines, food and beverages, as well as entertainment. The new casino will be operated by the global hospitality company Delaware North.

License to game

Kings Mountain Catawba Casino North Carolina

While the Catawba Nation is eager to start work, there are still a few more hurdles that the South Carolina-based tribe must go through to have more than Bingo and non-banked card games at their facility.

The Nation will need approval from North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper’s office to go from class II gaming to class III, which includes all other forms of gambling, including casino-style gambling.

“We are very optimistic that the negotiations will take place in the near future. We look forward to being an outstanding partner to the State of North Carolina,” said Wally Fayssoux, legal representative for Skyboat Gaming.

The Catawbas can only operate class III games if they have an agreement with the state and approval from the federal government, according to the American Gaming Association.

“The Tribe has the right to engage in class II gaming without a compact,” said Elizabeth Harris, tribal administrator. “However, the Tribe believes very much in working in partnership with other governments, not only Cleveland County and Kings Mountain, but also the State of North Carolina. The Tribe looks forward to negotiating a compact with the governor so that the great State of North Carolina fully benefits from this important economic development project.”

Opposition

Just last week, some Kings Mountain residents received flyers from a group called Defend NC decrying the building of the facility. The flyer states that an “out-of-state developer is trying to force a casino in Kings Mountain.”

This is just one of many groups that has spoken out against the casino over the years. Multiple Facebook groups have sprung back to life as news that a facility was coming.

Kings Mountain Catawba Casino Review

A new petition meant for Cooper’s desk urges the governor not to allow the facility to receive class III gambling status.

“The Catawbas broke ground on a casino near King’s Mountain, but there are two obstacles. There is a pending lawsuit to overturn the Department of Interior’s decision, and the tribe has not signed an agreement with Governor Roy Cooper. Sign this petition to encourage the Governor to NOT sign a compact with the Catawbas to allow full-scale gambling in Cleveland County,” read a statement from the group “Say NO to a Casino in Cleveland County.”

Kings Mountain Nc Catawba Casino

In the years leading up to the groundbreaking, the group’s members have been vocal at county commission and city of Kings Mountain meetings. One of the group’s fears is the crime that could be brought to the area. Kings Mountain Mayor Scott Neisler addressed those fears.

The city and the Nation have discussed the possibility and have each pledged to work together to stay on top of any crime that might be generated on-site, he said.

“We are already working on ways to combat this,” Neisler said.

Neisler reiterated that neither the city nor the developers want the casino to turn into a haven for crime and will be a “wholesome entertainment complex.”

Hope of partnership

Those area residents are not the only ones who oppose the Catawbas building in North Carolina. The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians stated their disapproval for the project since the beginning.

In 2019, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians released a letter with 38 of the 50 members of the North Carolina State Senate sent to U.S. Senate Indian Affairs Committee expressing opposition to a bill filed in 2019 that was meant to push forward the project. But the project continued to move forward despite it.

As news came of the Nation getting approval, the EBCI, which owns the only two casinos in North Carolina, filed a lawsuit trying to stop the Catawbas from building and against the Department of Interior for granting the land trust.

Richard Sneed, principal chief of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, denounced the decision by the Department of Interior to accept about 17 acres of land in Cleveland County into federal trust for the Catawba’s gambling purposes.

Even with the pushback, Harris said he wants to work with the EBCI on a partnership between the facilities.

“I see it as nation building. Let me say this, indigenous people have had a hard road of hope for many, many years. If we can come together, there is a phrase out there, ‘There is strength in numbers.’ So instead of inter-fighting, let’s unite and make something better,” Harris said.

Joyce Orlando can be reached at 704-669-3341 or find her on Twitter @Star_J_Orlando.

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Doubling down on the Kings Mountain casino