Eagle Mountain Casino Celebrates With over 300 People after Hitting a Major Milestone in the Construction of the Relocation of the New Casino
Eagle Mountain Casino, Porterville, Ca 93257 – The Tule River Tribe and Eagle Mountain Casino celebrate a huge milestone in the construction of the relocation property of the casino on Thursday, October 28th, during the Topping Out Ceremony, which took place at the new site with 300+ invited guests and community members.
The ceremony, which took place October 28th from 10am to 1pm, at the construction site of the property relocation, featured the entire construction team from WE Oneil, The Tule River Tribal Council, past Tule River Tribal Council Members, State Assemblyman Devon Mathis, the Mayor of the City of Porterville Monte Reyes, Tulare County Supervisor Dennis Townsend, Eagle Mountain Casino Team Members, and many former Porterville City Council Members.
The Topping Out Ceremony is celebrated once large projects like this complete a significant amount of work and celebrate together. As part of the tradition, those involved in the project sign the final beam that gets installed and watch as a crane places this final steel beam in place. The small tree placed at the top of the steel beam signifies the momentous occasion and provides good luck for the project going forward,” explains Brian Schell, Superintendent of the project.
“This project has been a long time coming. We purchased the property in 1988 and have been diligently working with the community to relocate to this property for the past five years,” explained Tribal Chairman William Garfield. “This casino relocation is only made possible from the continued support, dedication, and hard work from the Tule River Tribe, the exceptional leadership from Eagle Mountain Casino, and the incredible support from political and community partners,” he stated.
Matthew Mingrone, GM of Eagle Mountain Casino, commented on the Casino team members and how special this moment is, as it is not just a team, it’s a family. He further notes that more than “30% of the entire staff has been with the Casino for over ten years. We have eight team members celebrating with us
today that have been with us for the entire 25 years, and it speaks to who we are, what we stand for, our leadership, and why we truly are the People’s Casino”.
Project Manager from WE Oneil, Zack Mead, also commented on the enormity of the occasion and what it means to the construction team and everyone that has been working on the project by noting, “The relocation of the property has been a long time coming, and I want to thank the Tule River Tribe, The Gaming Commission, The Relocation Committee, The Eagle Mountain Casino team, and Southern California Edison for setting up the infrastructure and power to make this possible, as well as all the subcontractors that have worked so hard on this project so far.”
“The event was a joyous occasion for everyone involved,” as noted by State Assemblyman Devon Mathis, representative for the district. He continued, “This community is not just a group of people working towards a common cause; its family, everyone here including the tribe and the community has been working on this for many years.”
The Mayor of the City of Porterville, also in attendance, commented on the history of The Tule River Tribe and their incredible work and support in the community, saying, “The relocation of Eagle Mountain Casino sets the tone for economic flourishment and revitalization of the city of Porterville and the areas around it. New relationships have been formed, and old relationships strengthened. We want to thank and congratulate the past and present Tule River Tribal Council Members,” he stated as he celebrated this incredible milestone.
The new property for Eagle Mountain Casino, which is tentatively scheduled to open in the Fall of 2022, will be more than 100,000 square feet, will feature state-of-the-art slot machines, table games, a brand-new 2,000 seat event center, and many new dining options.
Currently, Eagle Mountain Casino, is located 17 miles east of Porterville and is a full-service casino owned and operated by the Tule River Tribe. Guests must be 18 years of age to enter. The Casino is open 24/7. The Grizzly Food court is open 24/7, and the River Steakhouse is open Friday – Sunday from 5pm – 10pm. Eagle Mountain Casino is a short drive from Bakersfield or Visalia. Bus service from Bakersfield is suspended until further notice due to Covid. The new Casino property is scheduled to open in the Fall of 2022, off Highway 65 in Porterville, CA, next to the Porterville Fair Grounds.
