The Kalispel Indian tribe hopes to break ground this month on its planned $17 million gambling casino in Airway Heights, and anticipates opening the 60,000-square-foot facility, which will be called Kalispel Casino, early next spring.


The tribe has selected Lugo Construction Inc., a Fife, Wash.-based construction company that has a Spokane office, as general contractor on the project, which will be located at the northwest corner of Hayford Road and Sprague Avenue on about 10 acres of a 40-acre tribal property. Selkirk Architects, of Seattle, designed the facility.


Jerry Huff, a project manager here for Lugo Construction, says that the casino, which will be operated by Carnival Hotels & Casinos, of Miami, will include a 40,000-square-foot gaming floor with areas set aside for poker and keno as well as space for slot machines and 35 gaming tables where games such as blackjack and roulette will be offered.


The facility also will include a 200-seat, high-end buffet restaurant. Huff says the restaurant will be similar to eateries located in Carnivals cruise ships and other establishments it operates.


The Kalispel Casino will employ a total of 500 people, says David Bonga, in-house counsel for the Kalispel Indian tribe.


If its financially successful, we plan to expand the facility to include more space for dining and some type of entertainment, Bonga says. He says the tribe hopes eventually to be able to add between 12,000 square feet and 15,000 square feet of floor space to the north end of the casino.


The Kalispels also hope to open a business park on the tribal land next to the casino, but plans for such a project havent been firmed up yet. That project relies on a healthy revenue stream from the casino, Bonga says.


Lugo Construction has built similar projects before, including the Puyallup Emerald Queen Casino, a large casino built in Tacoma for the Puyallup Tribe of Indians, Huff says.