After several delays,?Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River Casino is now set to open near Murphy, North Carolina?in September. ?A temporary casino was expected to open in late 2014 but the plan was scuttled to focus efforts on the major development. Also planned to open this summer, a major utility upgrade was required to attend to the resort’s water needs.
The 125,000 square foot development will include a full service 300 room hotel, 60,000 square feet of gaming space?and?several dining and entertainment venues.
800-900 people are expected to be employed?at the resort. A job fair has been scheduled for?Tuesday, June 23 at the Clay County Courthouse in nearby Hayesville. Prospective job seekers who are out of the area can apply online. Payroll is expected to exceed $32 million each year. The churn of payroll dollars as well as spending by visitors in other local establishments represent significant?economic benefits to the area.
Residents and former residents of the area have a wide variety of views on the development but overall the perception is positive. Those who oppose the develop lament the loss of a quiet and idyllic refuge in exchange for progress. An additional 10-15,000 cars a day will be on the road, bringing as many as 4 million visitors a year. A?10 million dollar road project is in the works by the North Carolina DOT.
The development is not threatened by Harrah’s association?with Caesar’s Entertainment who has been embroiled in bankruptcy proceedings since the start of the year. The property is owned by the?Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and is not involved in the bankruptcy in any way. The project is being built by?ECBI, who also developed?Harrahs Cherokee Casino about an hour away from the new site.
Readers may keep up to the minute on construction progress by viewing frequently updated?cam images.