Mission Indians Project Breaks Ground

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. October 14, 2008

MARCH 21, 2007. The Twenty-Nine Palms Band of Mission Indians broke ground today on a major development project at Spotlight 29 Casino in Coachella.

The project will include a four-star level hotel/spa, and will begin with a four-story parking garage. Leading the groundbreaking was newly elected Tribal Chairman Darrell Mike, who said, "Building Spotlight 29 Casino was just the beginning. Today we outlined the final visions for our ambitious plans for the property, visions that began years ago, took foothold with the casino, and now will begin to grow to completion. These are exciting developments that will enhance the entire Valley, economically and environmentally."

The economic impact of the project will be widespread, from construction labor to staffing once the hotel opens. The positive environmental impact comes in the form of a co-generation power plant that recycles energy, reduces emissions and decreases strain on California's overworked power grid.

The approximately 200-room hotel is designed with the goal of achieving a four-star rating, and will consist of amenities consistent with a four-star resort, including a pool/recreation area, spa and covered cabanas, health spa, convention center and restaurant additions.

The project will come in phases, the first of which is the 1,245-space parking garage. Spotlight 29 Casino General Manager Ray DelFiandra explained, "Because the construction of the hotel/spa structure itself will deprive guests of much-needed parking spaces on the property, it became necessary to initiate the project with the development of a parking structure in order to not only eliminate this potential problem, but also to address the assurances that the Tribe made to the community when it built the then-Trump 29 Casino five years ago to increase parking on the site when actual hotel development occurs."

Construction of the parking garage will begin immediately, with completion expected in 12-14 months. Hotel/spa groundbreaking will follow shortly thereafter. Developing the project is design/build firm WorthGroup. With offices in Denver, Las Vegas and Reno, WorthGroup has contributed to more than 150 destination resort properties in its 16 year history, independently contributing to projects over $500 million and partnering to complete projects as large as $1.6 billion. WorthGroup's list of clients includes internationally recognized hotel and gaming operators, more than 40 Native American Tribes and various public entities. WorthGroup is one of only a few industry specialists that can provide comprehensive design and construction services; however, the firm has also found great success in offering its division capabilities independently. One of WorthGroup's business units in particular -- the Animation Studio -- has realized such success in its product outcomes that design competitors are now seeking out WorthGroup to provide 3-D studies for their projects.

Business enterprises of the Twenty-Nine Palms Band of Mission Indians include Spotlight 29 Casino. The Tribe's philanthropic activities include the Theresa A. Mike Foundation and the Native American Land Conservancy. For more information, visit http://www.Spotlight29.com.