Rudy Prieto, CEO of all four Desert Diamond casinos, said it was a special day for the casino and the West Valley. 'This place is going to raise the bar for the casino industry in Arizona,' he said. Casino representatives that will pave the way for even more gaming space, a planned hotel and a convention center. The grand opening for the Desert Diamond West Valley is for Sunday at 1 p.m.

More than 1,100 silent slot machines with colorful displays sit beside dozens of blackjack and poker tables still covered in shrink wrap, lining the floor inside the new Desert Diamond Casino West Valley, set to open 8 p.m. Feb. 19.

Construction crews are putting the finishing touches on the $400 million, 1.2 million-square-foot casino near 93rd and Northern avenues that's been years in the making.

The casino will replace a smaller casino that has offered slot machines, but no table games the past four years. Northwest Valley residents for the first time will be able to play table games close to home.

The only other West Valley casino is Vee Quiva, near 51st Avenue on the Gila River Indian Reservation.

The Tohono O'odham Nation's new Desert Diamond Casino will include:

• More than 1,100 slot machines.
• 380 bingo seats.
• 36 poker-style tables.
• 48 blackjack-style tables.
• A massive bar with a second-story mezzanine overlooking the casino floor.
• A food court.
• A steakhouse.
• A sports bar.
• An Italian restaurant.

By comparison, Talking Stick Resort and Casino, near Scottsdale, has more than 900 slot machines. Wild Horse Pass Hotel and Casino, near Chandler, has more than 1,000 slots.

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'Hats off to all our past leaders because we wouldn't be here today in this beautiful facility without them,' said Elton Begay, police chief for the Tohono O'odham Police Department.

Hotel, convention space on the way

After the casino opens, work will start on the next phase, which will feature a full-service resort, convention space and possibly a concert venue.

There's no timeline yet for construction on the next phase.

Once the next phase is finished, the site should be close to 2.3 million square feet.

1,300 new jobs

The new casino will have about 2,000 employees, and 1,300 of them — both full-time and part-time — are new positions.

Open positions can be found at at ddcaz.com/careers-open-jobs.

Existing building's future not clear

It's not yet clear what will take over the existing casino's building.

The current casino, in a much smaller building next door, was built to be a warehouse for the new casino, project development director Randy Howe said. Staff currently uses an off-site warehouse, so they may convert the current casino to an events center.

'Getting this up and running is our priority,' Howe said of the new casino. 'What happens next with the little building, whether it becomes a warehouse, I don't know.'

Years of legal disputes, construction

Plans for the casino stretch back more than a decade.

When Tohono O'odham Nation officials first announced plans for a casino in 2009, Glendale, other tribes and state leaders pushed back. Lawsuits drug on until tribal and state leaders settled in 2017.

The casino broke ground later that year with the support of Glendale and its surrounding communities.

Reach reporter Joshua Bowling at jbowling@azcentral.com or 602-444-8138. Follow him on Twitter @MrJoshuaBowling.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: See the latest photos of the new Desert Diamond Casino West Valley opening Feb. 19

Former Tohono O’odham Chairman Ned Norris, Jr. “this day was a long time in coming.”

Opening of the interim facility which opened Dec. 20, 2015. To get to the groundbreaking day it took patience, persistence and perseverance by the tribe and its members. “We have come a long way,” former Tohono O’odham Chairman Ned Norris, Jr. There were many to thank to get to this momentous day and let bygones be bygones and start a new chapter in economic development and self-reliance of the nation. The new casino is bound to be a huge economic impact on the West Valley and the state.

More than eight years after the project was first announced, the Tohono O’odham Gaming Enterprise (TOGE) broke ground Friday, Dec. 1, 2017, on the permanent, full-scale home for its Desert Diamond West Valley Casino. The new facility will feature a 75,000 square-foot casino floor with Class III slot machines, poker and blackjack tables, and live bingo, as well as five restaurants. Construction of the $400 million project will last an estimated 24 months.

Construction of the project, headed by the Hunt/Penta Joint Venture as general contractor and will create over 1,500 construction jobs. Once complete, the full-scale casino will employ approximately 1,600 people. The facility is located on 54 acres of reservation land near the cities of Glendale and Peoria, Arizona. The full-scale casino will complement the region’s vibrant sports and entertainment attractions, including Glendale’s Westgate Entertainment District and Peoria’s P83 Entertainment District.

Desert Diamond Casino West Valley Construction Nj

The Tohono O’odham Nation first announced the major casino project Jan. 29, 2009. The casino project faced significant challenges from special interests in court and in multiple attempts to move federal legislation to halt the project. These challenges failed, and an interim casino opened to huge crowds Dec. 20, 2015. It currently employs nearly 600 people. The interim casino will continue operating during construction and then transition to use as a warehouse after the full-scale casino opens.

Edward Manuel, Chairman of the Tohono O’odham Nation said, “This facility will provide jobs and economic opportunity for members of the Tohono O’odham Nation, the West Valley and Arizona. The Nation is proud of the partnerships we have forged in the region, which will only strengthen and grow as we move forward.”

Andy Asselin, CEO of the Tohono O’odham Gaming Enterprise said “This is a day our guests and employees have been looking forward to for a long time. We have put together a terrific construction team that will be developing a unique attraction for the entire West Valley. We’re eager to get started.”

TOGE is also planning future phases of construction once the permanent casino is complete, including a hotel, spa and other resort amenities. Once fully built out, the resort and casino will occupy over one-million square-feet and create more than 3,000 jobs.

Desert Diamond Casino West Valley Construction &

Desert Diamond Casinos & Entertainment, with three locations in Southern Arizona (Tucson, Sahuarita and Why) and one in the West Valley, is owned and operated by the Tohono O’odham Gaming Enterprise, an enterprise of the Tohono O’odham Nation.