This article is from kgw.com

BREAKING NEWS: Tribe proposes casino-stadium deal

By JIM PARKER,
KGW.com Staff

In exchange for backing construction bonds to finance the building of a professional baseball stadium, the Grand Rhonde Tribe wants the opportunity to build a huge casino in metro Portland, KGW has learned.

Tribe leaders tell KGW they will lend their support to building a $350 million dollar Major League ballpark in downtown Portland in exchange for the right to build an off-reservation Grand Rhonde Casino, which would be the first of its kind in Oregon.

"We're just trying to create an option that includes all tribes, that includes job creation, that includes economic development -- real economic development in the immediate future," said Justin Martin, intergovernmental affairs director for the Confederated Tribes of Grand Rhonde.

The proposal would require state approval, which the tribe hopes Gov. Ted Kulongoski will consider granting.

Kulongsoki has already been considering rule changes which would allow off-casino gaming in Oregon. The new stadium offer may put more pressure on him to reach a decision.

"In this time of economic need and we heard the governor say all options are kind of on the table," Martin said.

The tribe already owns and operates the Sprit Mountain casino near Lincoln City.

Portland City Commissioner Dan Saltzman finds the tribal funding idea an interesting possibility.

"I'm not a big fan of legalized gambling myself but it is legal," he said.

"If they're willing to step forward and finance a stadium I think that's one down and two to go," Saltzman explained. "We've got to get somebody to own the team and we have to get the league to agree to put the team here."

Saltzman said he's been leery of other funding proposals to lure the Montreal Expos franchise to Portland, because using taxpayer dollars would take valuable money away from other priorities.

Also Thursday, one of the world's leading stadium design architects gave its commitment to designing the new stadium.

Depending on the decisions by Gov. Kulongoski and Major League Baseball, the Grand Rhonde Tribe is ready to foot the stadium bill in the hopes of getting urban gambling in the state as well.

Portland Mayor Vera Katz is scheduled to make a trip to Phoenix, Ariz. next month to lobby Major League baseball officials to assign the Expos franchise to Portland.

Baseball officials have told Portland and other cities hoping to land the team that they must have stadium plans to be considered.

KGW reporter Randy Neves contributed to this report