Hard Rock International is hooking up with a native Indian tribe out of California to build a new casino resort. The $600-million venue is being put together by the casino giant in collaboration with the Tejon Indian Tribe and is expected to be located in Kern County. If everything goes according to plan, it will provide over 3,000 jobs between its construction and day-to-day operations.
The Tejon tribe is a federally-recognized tribe and, as such, is being allocated 306 acres of land that will be held in trust by the government. The new casino will occupy 52 acres of the property, which is located about 25 minutes south of Bakersfield (two hours during rush hour). In addition to the resort, the tribe has set aside another 22 acres adjacent to the site to establish an RV park.
The resort will offer a casino, hotel, spa and fitness facilities and as many as 13 food and beverage spaces. In addition, it will include a concert venue and the “largest conference and meeting space in Kern County,” according to a joint statement from the Tejon tribe and Hard Rock.
It hasn’t been announced when development might begin. The project has to be approved by local officials and the federal government has to determine any environmental impact the facilities might have on the area. However, once it gets going, the two entities assert that it will have a positive impact on the area, with 2,000 permanent employs covering all operations.
In a statement from Tejon’s chairman, Octavio Escobedo, the partnership with Hard Rock is extremely gratifying and is “an important step for our Tribe and know that this project will be a great economic driver.”
Jim Allen, the chairman and CEO of Hard Rock, added, the company looks forward to developing a world-class project with the Tejon Indian Tribe that equals our hotel and casino projects across the world.”
The new venue will allow Hard Rock to increase its grip on gambling activity in California. It is already working on the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Sacramento in Fire Mountain and more expansion is expected. The company purchased the brand rights to the Hard Rock name for everything west of the Mississippi about two and a half years ago, and is also exploring other opportunities for expansion on the West Coast.
