The Pascua Yaqui Tribe, together with Casino Del Sol, celebrated a milestone this week as the final steel beam was signed and set for placement at their new casino site on Grant Road, near Interstate 10, Arizona. The ceremony, marking the completion of the building’s steel framework, was attended by tribal officials, project partners, city leaders, and local residents.
New casino development to foster employment and community growth:
Speakers at the event included Tucson Mayor Regina Romero, tribal leaders, and Casino Del Sol’s interim CEO Amanda Lomayesva. Attendees were invited to sign the beam, a “topping out” tradition marking the end of the construction’s structural phase.
The new facility aims to benefit both the Pascua Yaqui Tribe and the broader Tucson community. Once completed, the 172,000-square-foot site will include a 73,000-square-foot casino, several restaurants, and a four-level parking garage. Interim CEO Lomayesva highlighted the opportunity’s significance:
“It’s going to create a lot of jobs. It’s going to create economic opportunities,” she stated in Casino Del Sol and the Pascua Yaqui Tribe’s press release. “Jobs for the Pascua Yaqui Tribal members, but also for Tucson.”
Initial estimates projected around 400 new positions, but recent updates from Casino Del Sol suggest the casino could create over 1,000 jobs.
The project emerged from strong collaboration with the City of Tucson and is backed by the Old Pascua Community Land Acquisition Act, a measure introduced by the late Congressman Raúl Grijalva. Enacted in 2022, this legislation allowed the Department of the Interior to place tribal land in Pima County into trust for the Pascua Yaqui Tribe, enabling the land to be officially part of the reservation and permitting legal gaming operations.
Lomayesva credited the tribe’s commitment to transparency and communication with sustaining a positive relationship with the city.
“We have an excellent relationship with the city of Tucson. The tribe has worked very hard to be communicative and work to further that relationship with Tucson,” she noted.
Honoring sovereignty and community vision:
Adelita Grijalva, daughter of the late congressman, emphasized how the project aligns with the tribe’s ambitions for self-reliance and economic independence. “What we heard repeatedly from the leadership here at Pascua Yaqui is that they want to be safe, sustainable, and able to support their own initiatives,” she stated. “This project strengthens tribal sovereignty and represents exactly that kind of investment in the future.”
Construction of the casino began in January 2025 and is expected to be completed by November 2026.
Despite the positive atmosphere at the ceremony, some local concerns—particularly about potential traffic increases on Grant Road—have been raised online. Lomayesva acknowledged these concerns and promised continued dialogue with community partners.
“The team went out and talked to the community and had meetings discussing the plans and everything, and the feedback has all been positive,” Lomayesva said.
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- Source: SCCGManagement.com