A Tuesday announcement by the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma confirmed that ground will be broken in late spring 2019, on what will be the fourth expansion of their Durant, Oklahoma casino resort since the property first opened some twelve years ago.

According to the official press release, in addition to expanding the gaming floor and increasing room capacity, a number of amenities will be added including retail space, a parking garage, new pools and lazy river, food and beverage, entertainment options and a conference center.

Two-year completion:

The expansion project will reportedly be completed in approximately 24 months and is expected to bring an additional 1,000 jobs to the Oklahoma city of just under 17,800 people.

Commenting on the planned expansion, Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma Chief Gary Batton (pictured) said, “More than 30 years ago our tribe had the vision to begin this expedition by purchasing the 50 acres that the resort resides on today.

“The property was the starting point for many wonderful things to come for our tribe. We are elated to continue to grow with our community and improve the lives of our tribal and community members. This expansion will help the local economy and meet the demands of our growing customer base.”

Builder and design team:

The leading builder for the project is Tutor Perini Building Corp., while serving as design partners are a design team that includes Friedmutter Group and JCJ Architecture. The design team will be led by Tutor Perini Building Corp., which over the past 25 years has reportedly completed upwards of 30 similar projects for different tribal nations.

National, real estate development services firm, TynanGroup LLC, which has more than 20 years of experience navigating the development process, will serve in the same capacity for the expansion.

Renovations and additions:

In 2006, the original $60 million Choctaw Casino in Durant (South Casino) opened with 108,844 square feet of floor space. Four years later, the North Casino was completed with additional floor space and the Grand Hotel Tower was added. The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma completed the most recent renovation on the Durant casino in 2015 when a second hotel tower with spa was added along with The Grand Theater and The District, a family entertainment center.

Located in Southeastern Oklahoma in Bryan County, the Durant casino and resort is a AAA Four Diamond resort and entertainment destination. The 776-room and suites resort includes the Spa Tower which features a full-service salon and spa while the triple level convention/entertainment venue comprises more than 100,000 square feet of meeting and event space and can accommodate upwards of 3,000 people.

Amenities at the resort include the Oasis Pool area, The District and a gaming complex which boasts more than 4,100 slot machines, a 30-table private poker lounge and 60 table games.

Choctaw Nation enterprises:

In addition to its eight primary gaming venues, the Choctaw Nation own and operate 11 Casino Too’s, which are located within Choctaw Travel Plazas and host a small number of electronic gaming machines.

Around this time last year, the Choctaw Nation completed a $50 million expansion project at their Choctaw Casino and Resort in Grant adding a new 96-room and suite hotel, as well as an additional 100 slot machines, a new five-table poker room, a pair of new restaurants, an expanded buffet and a pool that is open exclusively to hotel guests.