Casino in Teec Nos Pos future?
‘Destination’ plans include hotel, restaurant, casino

By Kathy Helms
Diné Bureau

WINDOW ROCK — While the majority of Navajo Nation chapters are still trying to get certified, Teec Nos Pos is forging ahead with development plans in hopes of becoming “the point of destination” in the Four Corners area of the reservation.

Teec Nos Pos Council Delegate Francis Redhouse said this week that 16.8 acres of land located at the corner of U.S. Highway 160 and New Mexico Highway 64, have been withdrawn.

“It’s clear for development and ready to go. The community wants that developed, and based on the feasibility study, they’re planning for a motel and a restaurant,” Redhouse said.

Redhouse said two investors already have come forth. “Navajo Arts and Crafts is interested in developing a travel center, a restaurant and a motel. The third phase would be a casino.

Golf course?
“The other investor is a person by the name of Jeannie Rizzitto, who is associated with Red Lodge Enterprise from Montana. She’s interested in that particular area and she’s also proposing to develop an 18-hole golf course alongside the San Juan River on the New Mexico side of Teec Nos Pos district. She’s proposing an RV resort, from 500 to 1,000 lots.

“She’s willing to put up her money in terms of pursuing this particular project,” he said. “It’s up now to the Teec Nos Pos membership along with Teec Nos Pos Planning, Economic, and Zoning Commission, which came out of the Community Land Use Planning Committee.

“They renamed it because that’s exactly what it talks to — planning, economics and zoning — because they were given that responsibility when we got certified. I think we’re more advanced than all the other chapters — they’re still ‘CLUBing’ and we’re moving right along.”

The land for the golf course has not been withdrawn, nor have the grazing permit holders been contacted yet as the plan is still in development. Nevertheless, Redhouse said, the intent is to bring revenue to the Nation and Teec Nos Pos so it can be used for community development of infrastructure, housing, senior citizen and veteran services, as well as scholarships.

The hurdle for developers will be convincing the community and the Commission to give them a resolution of endorsement and working with the Division of Economic Development under the Regional Business Development Office out of Aneth to pursue the necessary paperwork to proceed with the plan.

“We want to get the approval from the community so we can proceed with the project as soon as possible,” Redhouse said.

Casino?
Regarding the third-phase development of a casino, he is hopeful that Teec Nos Pos will become one of the four Navajo casino sites in Arizona. Traffic flow at the intersection of U.S. 160 and N.M. 64 amounts to 10,500 vehicles a month. Arizona Department of Transportation has conducted a public hearing on plans to turn U.S. 160 into a four-lane.

“We’re expecting that to happen, at least beginning the initial planning, within the next five years,” Redhouse said, which could mean additional traffic that would justify a casino.

Teec Nos Pos is not looking at a huge casino that is set up like any other establishment,” he said. “We’re looking at approximately 50 to 600 machines that would be set in that location. I would rather see casino revenue flowing into the Nation on the Nation’s land than to give it to Fort McDowell and Tohono O’odam and other tribes.

“They’re generating revenue, they’re bringing more people to their casino, and we’re going there to use our own machines. It doesn’t justify anything at all,” he said, whereas a casino in Teec would generate local employment with good benefits. “There is more growth that could be done.”

According to the statistics, within the Northern Agency, Teec Nos Pos has been chosen the second growing economic development site, he said. “We want to pursue that as soon as possible so the benefits can go to my people, Teec Nos Pos, can go to the Nation, and also bring visitors. We want Teec Nos Pos to be the point of destination, that’s what we’d like.”

Monument?
In addition, development of the Four Corners Monument Project is still on the table. Though discussions had bogged down over the 37th parallel, Redhouse said the entities involved are “getting a little closer than we were before.”

“Ron Haven, myself and Herb Yazzie have met with the Four Corners Heritage Council in further discussion of the proposed development for Four Corners Monument. There is still money available in terms of those who made the donations, like the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, the city of Cortez, the Navajo Nation and also U.S. Parks.

“The Navajo Nation, Navajo Parks and Recreation, along with myself, plan on meeting with the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe to bring back the discussion with hopes of a resolution to agree on the revised memorandum of understanding so that construction of the Four Corners project can begin.”

If any future litigation arises regarding the 37th parallel, he said, that would be separate from development of the project and would be written into the revised MOU. “If it’s acknowledged by the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe to put it that way, I don’t think we will have any problems in developing the project, at the earliest stage, between now and 18 months,” Redhouse said.