Groundbreaking for New Casino on Highway 99 Expected by June, Officials Say

Construction on the Fresno-area’s newest Indian gaming casino, along Highway 99, is expected to break ground before the end of June.

That’s according to a top executive with Red Rock Resorts, the parent company of Las Vegas based Station Casinos — which is partnering on the project with the North Fork Mono Indian tribe.

“We continue to expect to have a shovel in the ground in the second quarter of 2021 with the construction expected to take 15 to 18 months,” said Stephen Cootey, Red Rock’s chief financial officer, on a investor conference call this week.

The casino will be built on 305 acres adjacent to the highway between Avenue 17 and Avenue 18 in Madera County. Plans call for a 213,000 square-foot project housing 2,000 slot machines, 40 table games, two standalone restaurants, and a “food hall” concept.

Nearly $400 Million Casino Project

A 200-room hotel has been included in earlier descriptions of the casino project, but Cootey did not mention it in his comments this week.

“As of now, the budget for the full completion of this project excluding any financing costs is expected to be between $350 million and $400 million,” Cootey said.

A spokesman for North Fork Rancheria said the tribe had nothing to add to Cootey’s comments at this time.

The “off reservation” Madera casino was originally proposed in 2003 and approved by the federal government and then-Gov. Jerry Brown in 2011. A lawsuit by another California tribe seeking to derail the North Fork tribe’s project ultimately reached the state Supreme Court. The court majority issued a ruling last August allowing the project to move forward.

Artist rendering from around 2013 shows North Fork Mono Indian gaming casino and hotel project planned for Highway 99 and Ave. 17 in Madera. (North Fork Rancheria of Mono Indians)