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WEBVTT HEALTH CARE, EDUCATION, AND HOUSING. THEY SEE TODAY IS A NEW BEGINNING. MORE THAN A DECADE AFTER CONSTRUCTION STOPPED, THERE ARE SIGNS OF LIFE. >> IT IS A NEW BEGINNING. >> THE TRIBE SAYS IT IS A STEP TOWARD SELF-SUFFICIENCY. A CASINO AND RESORT ON THIS 36 ACRE PARCEL OF LAND. >> THE EXCITEMENT SOMEDAY WE WILL BE GENERATING REVENUE -- >> CALLING IT AN ECONOMIC DRIVER FOR THE TRIBE MEMBERS. >> TO PROVI OPPORTUNITIES, EXPAND CULTURAL PROGRAMS. HELP TAKE CARE OF OUR ELDERS. >> THE TRIBE HAS FOUR BUILDINGS TO TEAR DOWN. >> IT IS ONE MORE STEP FOR US. >> THEY PLAN TO BREAK GROUND THIS YEAR. A CASINO THAT COMES WITH A 12 STORY HOTEL. A PROJECT THAT DID NOT COME WITH OPPOSITION. -- WITHOUT OPPOSITION. >> YOU LOOK AT TRIBES THAT SURROUND US. WHAT THEY HAVE DONE WIT THEIR

Advertisement Wilton Rancheria begins demolition on Elk Grove 'Ghost Mall' Share Shares Copy Link Copy

Demolition began at the now infamous site of a failed mall located adjacent Highway 99 near Grant Line Road. Wilton Rancheria pulled down a portion of one of four buildings on a 36-acre parcel of land that will soon be transformed into a casino and resort. "It signifies a visual obstacle coming down, and the tribe's path to self sufficiency and moving forward," said the tribe's chairman, Raymond C. Hitchcock. The site, which has become known as the "ghost mall," sat untouched for more than a decade, a constant reminder of the effects of the Great Recession. But now there are signs of hope, especially for a tribe that seeks a revenue stream to better itself. "Having self sufficiency and having an economic driver for the tribe gives us opportunities to provide health care to our tribal members, to provide housing opportunities, educational and scholarships to our tribal youth, expand cultural programs, help take care of our elders and bring more programs to our elders and then be givers back to the community as well," Hitchcock said. The casino will be accompanied by a 12-story hotel, 30,000-square-foot convention center, restaurants and a spa. "It is a new beginning," said Elena Tarango, the tribe's executive director of health. "The excitement that some day we will be generating revenue enough so that we can have and take care of all of our members, to build our own clinic and the eventual thing of building an all-Indian hospital."The project didn't come without debate in Elk Grove, where concerned citizens expressed fears of traffic congestion and increased crime following federal approval of the casino."If you look at any other tribes that surround us and what they've done to their communities or what they've done with their communities and how much the community loves them, because they bring so much support," Hitchcock said. "We're a people of giving to our tribal community and to the community around us."Former Gov. Jerry Brown signed Assembly Bill 1606, giving the Wilton Rancheria Tribe the go-ahead to build a $400 million casino in Elk Grove."This is a milestone for the movement in the right direction," Elk Grove Mayor Steve Ly said. "The way I see this particular area as a whole is, this is really an opportunity to develop something that will be consistent with entertainment and retail."Ly said the remaining 63-acre parcel of land, which belongs to the Howard Hughes Corp., has an uncertain future. The corporation recently said it won't build a mall on the site but plans to tear down the buildings on its portion of the deserted mall. "My interest is to see a synergy between the Wilton Rancheria and whatever is south of here. It needs to be consistent with an entertainment center or something that would be able to support one another," Ly said. Staff and council members are searching for potential retailers to fill the void, Ly said. Wilton Rancheria expects to demolish its four buildings within a few weeks and begin construction on the casino and resort this year. Construction is likely to take 18-24 months, according to Hitchock, and provide 1,500-3,000 jobs during that time. The casino and resort is expected to be complete around 2020 or 2021, and the development will have 1,800-2,500 full-time positions.