A tribe near Anchorage has begun clearing land for the possibility that it will soon win federal approval to build a 50,000-square-foot facility with a tribal gaming operation. The casino would be the first of its kind outside Southeast Alaska.
The Native Village of Eklutna has long pursued the idea of building the gaming hall on 8 acres of land owned for generations by a family within the tribe. The parcel is in Birchwood, about 20 miles northeast of downtown Anchorage.
The project received approval from the National Indian Gaming Commission this summer, a reversal of the agency’s previous position. The project now awaits a potential federal permit from the Bureau of Indian Affairs to make way for construction, project representatives say.
