The leaders of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Reservation in Oregon are considering adding a bowling alley and a second hotel tower to the tribe’s Wildhorse Resort & Casino in Mission.
Financing was approved by the Board of Trustees on April 4 to hire an architectural and engineering firm so that the first steps can be taken to draft preliminary proposals. No projects have been finalized and the proposed expansion’s anticipated cost was not disclosed, as reported by The Confederated Umatilla Journal.
The project’s plans also call for doubling the size of the facility’s event space for 30,000 square feet in total. The additional space would accommodate larger functions such as meetings, conferences, and conventions.
Board of Trustees member Justin Quaempts said the market is there for the taking, and it’s time. He added, “We need to think big and move forward. We’re at the center of the universe equal distance to Spokane, Seattle, Portland and Boise.”
Gary George, CEO of Wildhorse and Matt Robinson, whose firm, Klas Robinson, conducted the feasibility study for the planned development options, explained the proposals that have been discussed since September more thoroughly. Some recommendations from the feasibility report include a 200-key tower hotel, which would replace the original building, a pro shop, and 32-lane bowling center, and three more screens at the facility’s existing five-screen theater, which features two 3D screens and a huge 279-seat theater, among others.
The Wildhorse Resort and Casino is located on the Umatilla Reservation off Interstate 84, approximately seven miles from downtown Pendleton, Oregon. The casino has 1,200 slot machines and offers table games including roulette, poker, craps, bingo, blackjack, and keno. The resort has multiple bars and restaurants, a museum, an 18-hole golf course, as well as a kids’ entertainment center, among many other amenities.