A major development is at hand for the Navajo Nation by way of the Outlook at Glittering Mountain project next to its Twin Arrows Resort and Casino 24 miles east of Flagstaff, Arizona.

The project located in the Twin Arrows area was approved on September 1 by the Coconino County Board of Directors who gave the nod on a zone change for 70 acres next to the Nations flagship casino just north of Interstate 40. Approval from the county was necessary because the project is not on tribal trust land; therefore the tribe is responsible for any taxes from activities there.

The project is the newest stage in the development that in May celebrated its second anniversary of business. The development includes 370 housing units which some of the 650 employees of the neighboring casino and resort may choose to reside. Additional amenities planned for the Outlook at Glittering Mountain project include an entertainment pavilion, a cultural center, a bowling alley, restaurants, stores, hotels, a gas station and a theater. The goal is to be an all-encompassing destination for families and adults, and alliances are being made with events and festivals in Williams and Winslow as well as Flagstaff to accomplish that.

Navajo Nation Gaming Enterprise’s Chief Executive Officer Derrick Watchman said, “These strategic business expansions solidify Twin Arrows as an economic engine in Northern Arizona and allow us to showcase Navajo art, cuisine and culture to a greater audience,” according to the Flagstaff Business News. Spearheading the project is the Navajo Nation Shopping Centers Inc., a tribally chartered corporation who requested a zone change to allow for expansion plans. The agreement between the Nation and the Board allows for the property to be developed in four phases over the next 10 years.

In June the Navajo Nation Council voted unanimously to support the bill called the “Keep the Promise Act,” which would help to protect the Nations investment in the Twin Arrows Navajo Casino Resort it feels would be threatened by construction of the Tohono O’odham Nations West Valley Resort Casino currently under construction 160 miles away in the Phoenix suburb of Glendale.