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S. Utes ready to open casino

Tribe finishes upscale hotel, gaming center, bowling alley

IGNACIO - When the new Sky Ute Casino Resort begins to hold events in its 19,000-square-foot convention and banquet space, the population of the town of Ignacio could triple, at least for one night.

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Photo by JERRY McBRIDE/Herald photos

Michael Roubideaux, with the Southern Ute Shadow Wind Dancers, performs a welcoming dance Friday during media day at the new Sky Ute Casino Resort.

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Photo by JERRY McBRIDE/Herald photos

Michael Roubideaux, with the Southern Ute Shadow Wind Dancers, performs a welcoming dance Friday during media day at the new Sky Ute Casino Resort.

Photo by JERRY McBRIDE/Herald photos

The casino offers a 24-lane state-of-the-art bowling center.

Photo by JERRY McBRIDE/Herald photos

The new Sky Ute Casino Resort opens to the public on Tuesday. The casino area, which is 45,000 square feet, will include more than 550 slot machines, including blackjack tables and poker rooms.

About 700 residents live in Ignacio, and the convention center can accommodate up to 2,000 people, depending on the event. The casino opens Tuesday, and events are already being booked.

"We are as close to 100 percent booked as we can be for several months out," said General Manager Matt Olin on Friday, during a tour of the new facility given to local media. Concerts, tribal and local events, Christmas parties, weddings and business retreats are among the top reservations.

Upcoming concert events also include the Commodores and Los Lonely Boys.

The 300,000-square-foot facility boasts 140 hotel rooms and six luxury suites with views of the La Plata Mountains. In addition to five restaurants there are more than 550 slot machines on a 45,000-square-foot gaming floor, including six blackjack tables, six poker rooms and a bingo room. There are also 24 bowling lanes, an indoor pool, a day spa and salon, an entertainment lounge, and outside, a miniature golf course and RV park.

"We designed the facility to be a family destination resort and all-inclusive so people don't have to go anywhere else unless they want to," Olin said.

The grand opening is scheduled for Nov. 29 and includes a concert by country musician Clint Black.

On Friday, newly elected Tribal Councilor Barbara Scott-Rarick called the casino a "tribal vision."

Olin also explained what sets this new casino apart from its counterparts on other American Indian reservations.

"All the finishes (carpet, wall paper, etc.) were selected by tribal member employees or elders," he said. "Everything you see here is beautiful, and we incorporated important elements of Ute culture into this building, but we haven't overstated it."

Built by the Southern Ute Indian Tribe, construction began in January 2007, and plans for the new facility were in the works since the late '90s.

Although Olin would not say exactly how much the project cost, he said it was "reasonably accurate" to say it was slightly less than $200 million.

The project employed about 600 construction workers - most of whom were American Indian - and Olin expects the new facility to have 600 to 800 part-time and full-time employees, depending on demands.

Olin and his staff are also working with the Durango Area Tourism Office to attract visitors and business conventions and to provide transportation to area tourist attractions.

In Durango, Al Harper is proposing to build a hotel and convention center adjacent to the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, which Harper owns. Olin said despite a second convention center on the way, Sky Ute Casino has a lot to offer the area.

"DATO is excited about our conference center because now there is a facility in this region where we can hold 1,000 people sitting down, which has been a demand in the area for years," said Ben Fernandez, the casino's marketing director.

kwarren@durangoherald.com
Kathrine Warren is an intern at The Durango Herald.