Major expansion ahead at Graton Resort and Casino, as three owners… – Santa Rosa Press Democrat
“The proposed plan would provide additional amenities necessary to support and meet the needs of patrons,” the documents show, and “support the ability to self-govern.”
Graton Rancheria Chairman Greg Sarris declined to comment on the expansion.
What did he think?
Graton proposes to add more than 1.2 million square feet of space to what is now surface parking at the Casino.
They call for plans to extend the casino floor by 86,000 square feet above the existing floor with space for up to 3,000 new slot machines and 20 card tables, according to three documents.
A 28,000-square-foot rooftop restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating for 480 people is planned over that space.
Building a six-story wing of the hotel and a new pool area south of the existing hotel will bring the total number of rooms on the property to 421. That’s 1.5 times the size of the next largest hotel property in Sonoma County, the Hyatt Regency Sonoma Wine Country hotel in Santa Rosa’s Railroad Square with 253 rooms.
A 3,500-seat theater and concert halls are proposed to dwarf the Green Music Center and Luther Burbank Center for the Arts to the north of the existing casino. The theater is expected to operate an average of two nights a week, but occupancy depends on demand, documents show.
The expansion could help draw visitors from the Bay Area town and beyond and residents looking for a more surrounding entertainment destination, I. Nelson Rose, an attorney and tribal sports law expert, previously told The Democratic Press.
The addition of a theater and more hotel rooms can attract more people of all ages and keep them on site longer, he said.
The expanded footprint is expected to have a similar design to the existing casino and resort, according to three documents.
Construction is expected to take 18 months, when the theater will be built as part of the second phase.
The project will generate an estimated 2,000 temporary construction jobs and up to 600 new permanent jobs, boosting the competitive game of the 2,000-plus workforce.
They engage in three studies
It began moving forward with its three expansion plans last April, kicking off a lengthy environmental review.
An 878-page draft report issued in December explored potential impacts on traffic, public safety, noise and water — concerns that were shared by officials and residents in surrounding areas during a public comment period.
Graton Expansion Draft Tribal Environmental Impact Report
Demand analysis projects that police and fire services will increase the proportion of visitor growth, but officials did not anticipate having a significant impact on local agencies.
Calls for law enforcement services needed at the Casino represented about 2% of the annual calls the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office answered between mid-2015 through March 2020, according to the call data in the report.
The tribe said it will amend existing funding agreements with the county and Rohnert Park to meet the growing needs of the public service.
The study found the plan is likely to generate an additional 628 daily trips to the casino.
That could worsen already moderate delays along Golf Course Drive on Redwood Drive and the intersections of Commerce Boulevard and Rohnert Park Expressway and Redwood Drive, according to a draft report.
The proposed reduction includes improvements to the Golf Drive.
The plan will incorporate outdoor noise reduction measures and other sound measures to reduce noise from the casino and theater.
In the analysis it was found that the existing supply of water is sufficient to meet the increasing demand.
The review found no significant impacts to surrounding land use, air quality and other resources.
on the contrary
Many have been moved by the same cause since rancherias first discussed their plans in two decades for the Sonoma County Casino.
The project was eventually brought to South of Home Depot by vocal public opposition, including two supportive council members in Rohnert Park, the first attempt in city history to try to repeal it.
Some of those voices resurfaced as recently as 2017, when three officials floated plans to double the hotel capacity.
This time, the expansion plans did not generate as much public pushback.
Placing the casino west of the 101 freeway, closer to the city’s commercial core than its neighborhoods, has not been a huge hit to traffic and has not led to a significant increase in inequality, said Mackenzie, a former policymaker. a member
While the new plans double the size of the facility, Mackenzie said he’s confident some of the potential impacts will be addressed as part of pending discussions between the tribe and local officials.
