Tribe hopes to move Mohawk Bingo Palace
The Mohawk Bingo Palace, as well as a multi-story hotel, could soon be part of the Akwesasne Mohawk Casino if the community agrees with plans proposed Saturday at the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe. Tribal Council said that no decisions have been made, but that they’re looking for community feedback and approval for the expansion to take place.
The $75 million expansion includes constructing a hotel near the casino’s current valet entrance. Additional gaming floor would also be added in that area. The Cascades structure currently housing the On the Rocks bar, hundreds of slot machines and The Poker Room would then be turned into the Mohawk Bingo Palace as the current bingo hall is in need of many repairs, Council said. The new bingo hall would have its own entrance but would remain connected to the main casino building. Class II and Class III gaming would remain separate, and all bingo employees would retain their employment. Forty new positions would also be created by the addition of the hotel.
“My feelings for this project are positive,” said Chief Randy Hart to the community members at Saturday’s meeting. “I know that the number one concern is ‘Can we afford it?’ and with anything else there are risks, yes, there are. We believe that when we look at our numbers, that now is the time for us to make decisions.”
The bingo hall was constructed in the early 1980s. While it has had many improvements and growth in services, the building itself has deteriorated. However, in 2005 when Tribal Council considered moving the bingo hall to a new facility or to the casino site, community members rejected the idea. Bingo players have been loyal to the facility for decades and many said then that they disliked the idea of merging the tribe’s two gaming venues.
“The bingo and the casino people are two types of people,” a community member said Saturday. “If you combine them, we are going to end up losing money overall.”
Previous complaints were also that the casino is more upscale than the bingo hall, where patrons are comfortable in sneakers and t-shirts. However, a lease agreement for the bingo hall’s parking lot will expire next year, and at that point in time the tribe would have to begin paying costly rental fees.
A community member Saturday said that the decision for the $75 million expansion should be made through a referendum vote. Chief Hart said the suggestion has been noted and that he personally supports the referendum system.
Saturday’s presentation included only basic details of the proposed merge. Further details are to be provided at a special meeting this Saturday, March 12 at 10 a.m. at the Community Building lobby.
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