Vol. 4, No.10, October 2008, Global Gaming Roundup
Rolling Thunder
Pueblo of Pojoaque celebrate opening of New Mexico casino
The Buffalo Thunder Resort Casino in New Mexico is billed as bringing Las Vegas to Santa Fe. For the grand opening ceremony on August 3, this meant an appearance by the Flying Elvi and a couple of show girls. But in a more real sense, the collaborative project between the Pueblo of Pojoaque and Hilton Hotels brings the aesthetics and amenities usually seen in Las Vegas resorts to the largest resort in New Mexico.
The $300 million property, designed by Thalden Boyd Emery Architects and constructed by Balfour Beatty, is a pueblo-style building popular in Northern New Mexico.
The resort features 60,000 square feet of gaming space, including a 10-table poker room, 66,000 square feet of meeting space, a spa and a 36-hole golf course. The property also has 395 hotel rooms, which are being operated by Hilton in its first partnership with a gaming tribe.
Buffalo Thunder is the culmination of more than 15 years of economic development for a tribe that was instrumental in bringing tribal gaming to New Mexico. While other tribes, most notably the Mescalero, were initially more successful with their gaming ventures, Pueblo of Pojoaque Governor George Rivera said that with Buffalo Thunder, the Pueblo of Pojoaque are now the leaders of New Mexico gaming.
“Just like we learned from other tribes and their businesses and developments, now, they’ll be learning from us,” he said.
Buffalo Thunder is more than just a destination resort, a fact touched on by Barry Thalden of Thalden Boyd Emery.
“Our mission at Thalden Boyd Architects is to improve the lives of Native Americans through the development of spectacular, creative and successful resorts and casinos,” Thalden said. “This represents more than just a building. To us, and to the Pueblo of Pojoaque, this represents the future of their children and their children’s children.”
Through the various businesses it owns, the tribe has been able to develop scholarship programs for private primary schooling as well as secondary institutions. It has put together early child care programs and programs to benefit senior citizens. It also funds a 50,000-square-foot recreation center that is open to the public. With the new resort, the tribe will be in an even stronger position to provide education, health care and employment opportunities to tribal members.
“It’s the direction that we want our future to go,” Rivera said. “It’s not just about the money, it’s about the survival of the people and the education of the people. Those are the reasons why we move forward in this direction, and that’s why I’m committed to the project.”ꆱ
The $300 million property, designed by Thalden Boyd Emery Architects and constructed by Balfour Beatty, is a pueblo-style building popular in Northern New Mexico.
The resort features 60,000 square feet of gaming space, including a 10-table poker room, 66,000 square feet of meeting space, a spa and a 36-hole golf course. The property also has 395 hotel rooms, which are being operated by Hilton in its first partnership with a gaming tribe.
Buffalo Thunder is the culmination of more than 15 years of economic development for a tribe that was instrumental in bringing tribal gaming to New Mexico. While other tribes, most notably the Mescalero, were initially more successful with their gaming ventures, Pueblo of Pojoaque Governor George Rivera said that with Buffalo Thunder, the Pueblo of Pojoaque are now the leaders of New Mexico gaming.
“Just like we learned from other tribes and their businesses and developments, now, they’ll be learning from us,” he said.
Buffalo Thunder is more than just a destination resort, a fact touched on by Barry Thalden of Thalden Boyd Emery.
“Our mission at Thalden Boyd Architects is to improve the lives of Native Americans through the development of spectacular, creative and successful resorts and casinos,” Thalden said. “This represents more than just a building. To us, and to the Pueblo of Pojoaque, this represents the future of their children and their children’s children.”
Through the various businesses it owns, the tribe has been able to develop scholarship programs for private primary schooling as well as secondary institutions. It has put together early child care programs and programs to benefit senior citizens. It also funds a 50,000-square-foot recreation center that is open to the public. With the new resort, the tribe will be in an even stronger position to provide education, health care and employment opportunities to tribal members.
“It’s the direction that we want our future to go,” Rivera said. “It’s not just about the money, it’s about the survival of the people and the education of the people. Those are the reasons why we move forward in this direction, and that’s why I’m committed to the project.”ꆱ
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