After on February 13, 2019, celebrating a topping off ceremony, the Enterprise Rancheria’s $440 million Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Sacramento at Fire Mountain is nearing its planned fall 2019 opening, having begun booking room reservations on August 15.

Located near the Toyota Amphitheatre in Wheatland, the Fire Mountain mega-resort is being developed by the Seminole Tribe-owned subsidiary of Seminole Hard Rock Entertainment, Inc., which will also manage the facility.

In the Thursday news release, president of Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Sacramento at Fire Mountain, Mark Birtha, said…

“We are excited for our guests to begin making resort reservations to what will become Northern California’s premier gaming, dining, and hospitality destination. This announcement brings us one step closer to officially opening our doors this fall. The Hard Rock brand provides an experience that is unlike any other and was recently ranked no.1 in hotel guest satisfaction by J.D. Power in the Upper Upscale category. We can’t wait to welcome guests to our newest location to enjoy our world-renowned hospitality.”

Property amenities:

The long-awaited Yuba County, California property will feature a 201-key hotel including 170 luxury rooms and 31 suites along with a selection of pool terrace rooms,  in addition to a variety of dining choices, Las Vegas-style gaming and live music and entertainment.

The eight-story venue located approximately 35 miles north of Sacramento, will additionally feature more than 8,500 square feet of meeting space, a variety of food and beverage options such as Council Oak Steak & Seafood, Fresh Harvest, Hard Rock Cafe, full-service bars, and over 1,500 gaming machines, more than 55 table games such as California-style roulette and craps, and an upscale high limit room featuring a variety of blackjack games with side bets and slots with denominations of up to $100. Also included are an outdoor pool and deck area and signature brand amenities like the Body Rock® fitness center, Rock Shop® and brand programs, such as The Sound of Your Stay.

Topping off:

Seventeen years in the making, the federally-recognized Estom Yumeka Maidu Tribe of Enterprise Rancheria held a topping-off ceremony for its soon-to-be-opened northern California hotel and casino on Feb. 13, 2019. A partnership between the Seminole Tribe of Florida, owners of Hard Rock International, and the Enterprise Rancheria.

Timeline:

Enterprise Rancheria ‘s project from inception:

  • 2002 – tribe files an application requesting the Secretary of the Interior to take into trust 40 acres of unincorporated land in Yuba County for the construction and operation fo a destination resort hotel and casino.
  • September 1, 2011 – Department of Interior/Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) conclude that gaming on the proposed site near the City of Marysville would be in the best interest of the Enterprise Tribe and not detrimental to the surrounding community (final environmental impact statement) Also, confirmed was the tribe’s historical connection to the proposed site.
  • August 31, 2012 – California Governor Jerry Brown concurs (pdf) with the September 1, 2011, U.S. DOI/BIA favorable two-part determination provisions of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act and approves the Tribe’s proposed gaming project in Yuba County. The concurrence allowing it (the Tribe) to move forward with its federal application to acquire new Indian trust land for gaming. While the Tribe signed a Class III gaming compact with the state, lawmakers never approved it due to opposition from rival tribes, including the United Auburn Indian Community (UAIC) and the Cachil Dehe Band of Wintun Indians (a.k.a Colusa Indian Community), which operate the Colusa Casino Resort. The two tribes sue the BIA for placing the Enterprise Rancheria’s site in trust. The site is about 18 miles north of the Thunder Valley Casino owned by the UAIC.
  • December 2012 – BIA places 40-acre site into trust for planned 10,000 sq ft facility.
  • June 15, 2015 – Fast forward to 2015, according to a federal court filing, “The Temporary Facility will be strictly limited to Class II gaming, and therefore will not require a tribal-state compact.” A $170 million scaled-down off-reservation Class II gaming facility due to delays from litigation.
  • April 8, 2016 – The Enterprise Rancheria break ground on long-awaited casino, but construction remains on hold due to numerous legal challenges, including the one filed by the Auburn Tribe.
  • August 12, 2016 – BIA  issues Class III gaming procedures for the project, marking the third time that the agency has issued Class III gaming procedures in California. In each of the three instances, the state was failing to negotiate in “good faith” as required by the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act.
  • October 13, 2016 – Sacramento-based 3rd District Court of Appeal rejects UAIC’s lawsuit, however, Auburn Tribe disputes the ruling and Enterprise Rancheria won’t restart work at Fire Mountain while the case continues.
  • May 2, 2018 – The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals rejects a multitude of challenges to the tribe’s land-into-trust application. The Tribe can resume work on the long-delayed casino.
  • July 2018 – After earlier in the year a federal appeals court agreed with the Tribe effectively ended the long-drawn-out legal battle, Hard Rock International signs branding partnership with the Enterprise Rancheria in July renaming the casino Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Sacramento at Fire Mountain.
  • February 13, 2019 – The Enterprise Rancheria holds topping-off ceremony more than 17 years after first envisioning the project.

Economic benefits:

According to the tribe’s website, the project will generate more than $200 million in local economic activity and serve as a ‘regional anchor development.’ And…

“In addition to providing much-needed economic self-sufficiency for Tribal citizens, the Tribe will also contribute more than $5 million a year to Yuba County and the City of Marysville to fund safety, education, and other public programs…improving the quality of life for all.”