Conference held in Oklahoma City to discuss Mystic Winds Casino expansion, tour AICCM site

By Dustin Gray
Media Specialist

Seminole Nation employees and General Council members met at the Marriot Courtyard in Bricktown on Friday, May 16 and Saturday, May 17, to discuss the future expansion of the Mystic Winds Casino. They also had the opportunity to observe early construction efforts for the American Indian Cultural Center and Museum, a state of the art facility located along the Oklahoma River near downtown Oklahoma City.

The two day event commenced with a Friday night presentation from Barry Thalden, managing partner for the highly reputable Native American owned architectural firm, Thalden Boyd Architects. Established in 1998, the firm offers a unique and accommodating philosophy to their clients, vowing to capture and express the cultural spirit of their Native clients in the design of their buildings.

This philosophy has certainly caught on. With offices in Las Vegas, St. Louis and Tulsa, Thalden Boyd has built 119 Indian casinos across the nation.

On Saturday Morning, the nationally recognized KlasRobinson QED Hospitality Consulting firm presented their collected data from a thoroughly conducted feasibility study. The firm studied several trends including location, average household income, population density, competition with other casinos and traffic flow considerations to analyze the benefit and potential of the expansion project.

In an effort to stay competitive with the new FireLake Grand Casino in Shawnee and Riverwind Casino in Norman, the firm discussed the necessary considerations for the new facilities.

The firm’s recommendations for the new I-40 casino included 750 new Class III gaming machines, 10 table games and 5 poker tables. It will be connected to a large 125 room 3.5 star hotel with an indoor pool and Jacuzzi, small fitness center and room service provisions.

Other facilities discussed included a 7,500 square-foot events center for meetings, functions and entertainment ventures, a small gift store and smoke shop with merchandise and native arts and crafts, a 200-seat permanent buffet, a 100-seat “Mexican Cantina-themed” sports bar and grill, a 24 hour snack bar and deli and a paved parking lot for at least 1,000 vehicles and 15 buses or recreational vehicles.

Development of an integrated Players Club system was also recommended for the new and existing Seminole Nation casino complexes.

KlasRobinson QED projected a cash flow of over $11 million in the first year of operation, with a steady increase to well over $13 million a year over the course of just five years.

To achieve such success in this new venture, the hiring of a professional hotel management service that will cooperate as a cohesive unit with casino management is critical. NMS Lodging, a company based in Anchorage, Alaska, addressed this need to attendees. Embodying the wisdom, strength and adventuresome spirit of its Alaskan roots, NMS Lodging offers warm hospitality in each of its five operational divisions: lodging, camp services, security, food and facilities management and workforce solutions. NMS Lodging’s primary objective is to enhance the daily operations of their clients by offering quality support services, thus enabling their clients to better focus on their core business.

Selection of a construction company and owner’ representative to supervise on behalf of the Seminole Nation are also key commitments in the advancement of the project. S & J Enterprise, a construction company with a proven track record of completing projects on time and on budget, shared their knowledge and insights on the undertaking of the assignment.

After lunch, attendees were treated to a hard hat tour of the American Indian Cultural Center and Museum site, currently under construction near downtown Oklahoma City.

The AICCM is a project designed and operated by the Native American Cultural and Educational Authority. The Oklahoma Legislature created the NACEA in 1994 for this purpose. Their mission is to communicate the story of journey from ancestral homelands; nurture the creation of traditional cultural arts and their contemporary expression, and facilitate the ongoing documentation and discussion of American Indian peoples’ history and culture. There are 4 business community appointments and 7 American Indian appointments, including Chief Kelly Haney, on the NACEA Board of Directors.

Components of the AICCM will include a cultural center and museum, a landscaped park and trails system, a welcome center for visitors and an arts market place. Completion of the project is scheduled for 2009.

Following the tour, two additional presentations were given in regard to the I-40 casino expansion.

Attorneys Elizabeth Homer and Sandra Harrison gave a thorough presentation of the legal concerns facing the project. They addressed sovereignty issues and the necessary actions for carrying out expansion efforts, offering guidance for the adherence to the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act and the Oklahoma Gaming Compact.

Noting that the tribe has succeeded in instituting many of the compulsory legal and organizational improvements, the attorneys concluded that the tribe is well-positioned to expand its gaming activities.

They also acknowledged that there was more work to be done. The Seminole Nation Division of Commerce must be fully staffed in order to plan, manage and oversee the development process. A method for enforcing environmental and public health and safety standards by qualified inspectors must also be sought in the near future.

The two day conference concluded with a presentation by the Minneapolis, Minn. based Northland Networks. They discussed various types of loans and financing options for the project.

The estimated cost for the Mystic Winds Casino development is around $65 to $70 million, with steady increases in gaming revenue and an influx of new jobs sure to accompany the expansion.

“For every month that we’re not open with a new casino, we lose over $1 million dollars for the tribe,” said Chief Haney. “It’s time for the Seminole Nation to move ahead, and that’s what we’re getting ready to do.”

Look for updates on the casino expansion project in future editions of the Cokv Tvlvme. For more information on the American Indian Cultural Center and Museum visit www.aiccm.com