Washington: Snoqualmie Casino breaks ground on $400M expansion project

Snoqualmie Casino in King County, Washington has commenced a $400 million expansion and renovation project, which according to developers will transform the tribal venue into "an unmatched gaming and hospitality destination" for the region, as well as add jobs. The project is expected to be completed within two years.

Seattle-based construction firms Cumming Group and Skanska are spearheading the project that will see the casino add a new upscale 210-room hotel to the grounds and expand the casino's gaming floor by 11,000 square feet, with other additions including a full-service spa, fitness center, convention center, parking garage, and two new restaurants.

"The new Snoqualmie Casino expansion will provide a significant boost to the local community through immediate job creation and will soon provide a much-needed hotel offering with new convention, concert, and meeting spaces," said Scott Hebert, senior project manager at Cumming, as reported by Patch.com. "We could not be more excited to bring this caliber of a resort experience to Snoqualmie."

Developers said the first phase of the project begins with several improvements, including overhauling the valet entrance, parking facilities, and other buildings. Under an accelerated timeline, contractors are aiming to complete the project within two years, in the fourth quarter of 2024. There will be nearly 1.2 million square feet of renovations and expansion.

The Snoqualmie Indian Tribe had contemplated building the expansion since the casino opened in 2008, a casino spokeswoman said Monday, according to Puget Sound Business Journal. The improvements are set to help the tribe advance goals such as providing its families with education, health care, and housing.

The project will provide an estimated 500 construction and resorts jobs for tribal members and local residents, with a little over 200 of those to be hotel and resort jobs. The project is seeking to hire local subcontractors and tradespeople.

The tribe is the Snoqualmie Valley's largest employer, providing over 1,700 jobs. According to the aforementioned casino spokeswoman, the tribe will operate the new hotel. Architectural details were inspired by Snoqualmie culture, including "a modern slant roof hotel design" representing the longhouses of the tribe’s ancestors.