COWETA, Okla. — Construction has begun on the Coweta Casino Hotel being funded by Muscogee Nation Gaming Enterprises.
“We’re going to generate 250 new permanent positions. I think it will drive great economic opportunity here,” said Pat Crofts, the CEO of Muscogee Nation Gaming Enterprises. “The local chamber, the regional chamber, has calculated during construction it’ll generate over $100 million of economic benefit to the region and around $50 million a year every year after, so it’s going to generate a lot of jobs, generate a lot of interest, just be a really nice help for the city here.”
Despite Crofts belief that the new casino will bring economic benefit, many people in Coweta were hesitant about the new construction project.
“We got some negative publicity at the very beginning and as people started to figure out what the project is, we’ve gotten an awful lot of really positive feedback.”
Crofts assured anxious citizens that the casino won’t change the landscape of Coweta’s community too much.
“This is a $100 million investment, but it’s not a giant casino like River Spirit. We’re not going to have giant concerts and giant events. It’s not going to be that impactful as far as the community. I think a lot of people were worried at the beginning of how big it was going to be. When you hear it’s a $100 million investment, it sounds like a giant complex, but it’s just a medium size casino…I don’t think it’s going to be nearly as impactful on traffic and the neighborhood as people originally thought.”
Currently, the casino is projected to be 104,000 square-feet, featuring a casino, 46-room hotel, pool, fitness center, concierge service and a meeting space built to accommodate up to 150 people.
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