The Twenty-Nine Palms Band
of Mission Indians broke ground today on a major development project at
Spotlight 29 Casino in Coachella. The project will include a four-star
level hotel/spa, and will begin with a four-story parking garage.
    Leading the groundbreaking was newly elected Tribal Chairman Darrell
Mike, who said, “Building Spotlight 29 Casino was just the beginning. Today
we outlined the final visions for our ambitious plans for the property,
visions that began years ago, took foothold with the casino, and now will
begin to grow to completion. These are exciting developments that will
enhance the entire Valley, economically and environmentally.”
  The economic impact of the project will be widespread, from
construction labor to staffing once the hotel opens. The positive
environmental impact comes in the form of a co-generation power plant that
recycles energy, reduces emissions and decreases strain on California’s
overworked power grid.
  The approximately 200-room hotel is designed with the goal of achieving
a four-star rating, and will consist of amenities consistent with a
four-star resort, including a pool/recreation area, spa and covered
cabanas, health spa, convention center and restaurant additions.
  The project will come in phases, the first of which is the 1,245-space
parking garage. Spotlight 29 Casino General Manager Ray DelFiandra
explained, “Because the construction of the hotel/spa structure itself will
deprive guests of much-needed parking spaces on the property, it became
necessary to initiate the project with the development of a parking
structure in order to not only eliminate this potential problem, but also
to address the assurances that the Tribe made to the community when it
built the then-Trump 29 Casino five years ago to increase parking on the
site when actual hotel development occurs.”
  Construction of the parking garage will begin immediately, with
completion expected in 12-14 months. Hotel/spa groundbreaking will follow
shortly thereafter.
  Developing the project is design/build firm WorthGroup. With offices in
Denver, Las Vegas and Reno, WorthGroup has contributed to more than 150
destination resort properties in its 16 year history, independently
contributing to projects over $500 million and partnering to complete
projects as large as $1.6 billion. WorthGroup’s list of clients includes
internationally recognized hotel and gaming operators, more than 40 Native
American Tribes and various public entities. WorthGroup is one of only a
few industry specialists that can provide comprehensive design and
construction services; however, the firm has also found great success in
offering its division capabilities independently. One of WorthGroup’s
business units in particular—the Animation Studio—has realized such
success in its product outcomes that design competitors are now seeking out
WorthGroup to provide 3-D studies for their projects.
  Business enterprises of the Twenty-Nine Palms Band of Mission Indians
include Spotlight 29 Casino. The Tribe’s philanthropic activities include
the Theresa A. Mike Foundation and the Native American Land Conservancy.
For more information, visit http://www.Spotlight29.com.
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