The Tulalip Hotel may be the most glamorous addition within the Tulalip Indian Reservation, but a small casino down the road from Quil Ceda Village, the Tulalip Tribes shopping and gambling area, is so popular that tribal leaders are expanding its parking lot.
Quil Ceda Creek Casino, with 800 slot-style machines, is less than half the size of Tulalip Resort Casino, which has more than 2,000 machines. Many gamblers prefer the smaller casino because it is set back from the hubbub of Quil Ceda Village where Home Depot, Wal-Mart, a shopping outlet mall and a large hotel bring lots of traffic and, often, lots of noise. During warmer months, when concerts are held at the Tulalip Amphitheatre, people bustle through the area late into the night.
Quil Ceda Creek Casino, which includes a nightclub, is on 33rd Avenue NE, nearly three miles west of Quil Ceda Village. It is nestled into the edge of the forest that separates the tribal administrative offices from Quil Ceda Village.
“It’s known for that ‘Cheers’ atmosphere,” Tulalip Resort Casino President Ken Kettler said. “It’s a little more intimate, and everyone knows your name. It has a down-home feel.”
The smaller casino is so popular that gamblers are often forced to park on the shoulder of the road leading to it, Kettler said. The parking lot expansion will add about 550 spots, more than doubling its current size.
The $1.6 million project is scheduled to begin next month and be finished in June, according to the Tulalip Tribes newsletter. Tribal project managers are currently accepting bids for the project. They hope to award it to an American Indian-owned company, in keeping with the tribal government’s policies.
Tribal leaders have said that they have future plans to expand Quil Ceda Village to include light industry to the west of Tulalip Resort Casino and Seattle Premium Outlets.
Krista J. Kapralos: 425-339-3422, kkapralos@heraldnet.com.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
