Groundbreaking planned for Kings Mountain casino
The Catawba Indian Nation announced that groundbreaking for their casino will be this month.
“The Catawba Nation is pleased to announce that we are having a groundbreaking this month on our resort in Kings Mountain. This important project will have a huge economic impact on the region, bringing thousands of jobs to the area,” said Catawba Indian Nation Chief Bill Harris.
Harris did not reveal a date of when the groundbreaking of the 17-acres of land off of Dixon School Road and I-85 will occur.
Economic future
Harris estimates that at least 5,000 people will be employed during the construction phase and another 4,000 when the facility opens.
While profit made by the casino will go to the tribe, the community will still see an impact as the city of Kings Mountain will provide the utilities to help power the gaming facility. Along with that, industries that spring up around the casino will add to the tax base in the community, said Kings Mountain Mayor Scott Neisler in March.
An economic impact study prepared by London & Associates shows the proposed facility could represent a $273 million investment in Cleveland County and, once operational, the facility could generate $208 million of direct economic activity.
North Carolina currently has two casinos, both owned by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. Harrah’s Cherokee Casino opened in 1997 and Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River Casino near Murphy opened in late 2015. Both of the casinos are managed by Caesars but owned by the tribe.
The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians has opposed the Catawba's building for years.
Moving forward despite opposition
Harris announced the groundbreaking on the heels of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians amending their lawsuit against the South Carolina tribe and the United States Department of Interior.
“We are aware of Eastern Band of Cherokee’s (EBCI) amended complaint, which reiterates the same claims they made in the original. Based on their original complaint, the EBCI sought a preliminary injunction asking the court to block this project, and the court denied that motion because of the weakness of their case,” Harris said.
The plaintiffs in the lawsuit are the EBCI and 12 “members” who live near the Kings Mountain site off of Dixon School Road. Additionally, the Cherokee Nation based in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, filed its own amended complaint, seeking to protect cultural artifacts on their ancestral land where the casino is planned.
Land claims
For the last several years as the federal government debated whether or not the land should be taken into trust for the Catawba Indian Nation, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians have claimed that their neighbors to the south have no claim.
“Catawba has clearly demonstrated our connection to the land in Kings Mountain. Documentation from many historians shows that Catawba warriors were essential to the winning of the Battle of Kings Mountain as well as our long-term historical and cultural ties to the area,” Harris said.
The amended complaint by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians indicates that the tribe believes that the Catawba are encroaching on their land.
“Cleveland County is included as part of our service area in our 1993 Settlement Agreement approved by Congress which established our re-recognition as a federally recognized tribe. EBCI has never challenged this until now,” Harris said. “We are confident that the judge will find that the U.S. Department of Interior followed all federal laws and made the proper decision regarding our application.”