KCRA.com

by Sara Heise, Senior Digital Editor

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (KCRA) —

Gov. Jerry Brown signed Assembly Bill 1606, giving the Wilton Rancheria Tribe the go-ahead to build a $400 million casino in Elk Grove, which became a hotly contested issue in the community over the last couple years.

“I thank the governor for signing the ratification bill and applaud my colleagues in both the Assembly and the Senate for their vote in favor of the compact,” said Assemblymember Jim Cooper, D-Elk Grove, who introduced the bill. “The Wilton Rancheria project is vital to the future prosperity of Elk Grove and will create thousands of good-paying jobs for the entire Sacramento region.”

The Wilton Rancheria Casino will be built on 36 acres of land near Highway 99 and Kammerer Road. It will include a 12-story resort and casino, complete with 300 rooms and 30,000 square-feet of event space.

The project will create more than 1,600 construction jobs, 1,750 full-time casino and hotel jobs and 3,000 other direct and indirect jobs, Cooper's office said.

“We look forward to continuing our work with the community of Elk Grove and the greater Sacramento region to create jobs, a great destination resort and to help our tribe achieve self-sufficiency," Wilton Rancheria Chairman Raymond C. Hitchcock said.