May 22–Sycuan Casino, which opened in 1983 as a modest bingo hall clad in aluminum siding, on Tuesday marked a milestone in its transformation into a modern, upscale resort.
At a topping-off ceremony attended by tribal members, company executives and invited guests, a final steel beam was hoisted by a construction crane to the roof of what will be Sycuan's first casino hotel.
The symbolic act — preceded by a blessing in Kumeyaay by 87-year-old tribal elder George Prieto and traditional singing by the Kumeyaay Bird Singers — represented more than just the near-completion of a $226-million expansion project. It signified a far-reaching step forward for Sycuan.
Tribal chairman Cody Martinez thanked the crowd of several hundred people gathered in the future new wing of the casino "for joining us today for this great celebration of progress."
The 500,000-square-foot resort expansion will include a 12-story, 302-room luxury hotel, seven new dining venues, an 8-acre pool and garden complex, plus a convention and meeting center, with a 1,200-seat event space.
"Over the years, we've been known as a gambling hall, that's all we have. We do have a couple of restaurants, but really it's limited," said general manager John Dinius.
"With this expansion, it allows us to bring in amenities that are really going to fully complement the overall resort experience. We feel like we've maximized everything we can do within the current facility, so to be able to double it in space and size is just a dream come true."
While the hotel will be the first on the casino property, the tribe has already been in the hotel business. Sycuan owns the historic US Grant Hotel in downtown San Diego, as well as a hotel and golf course 3 miles from the casino.
On Tuesday, several new details emerged about the new project, including:
* A completion date for the resort has been set for March 2019.
* A small reconfiguration of the hotel has added two additional rooms, bringing the total to 302, from the previously announced 300.
* Those rooms are actually 1,600-square-foot high-roller suites.
* Food and beverage contracts are in the process of being signed with "some really iconic brands locally here in San Diego," Dinius said.
It's a dynamic time for San Diego-area casinos, with an estimated $1 billion being spent on new hotels, spas, pools, restaurants, added casino space, top-to-bottom remodels, and more.
Sycuan's development has gone quickly, Martinez said Tuesday, reminding guests that the official groundbreaking was held in March 2017. Martinez and Dinius credited the work of Swinerton Builders, the company that also built the new hotel towers and expanded facilities at Pechanga Resort & Casino and Viejas Casino & Resort.
After the topping-off ceremony, Martinez and Dinius went over to thank 400 construction workers who were being treated to a buffet lunch.
Dinius — who has been with Sycuan for 25 years, starting in the bingo hall and working his way up from slots attendant to supervisor, director and finally GM — noted that casino profits go back to both tribal members and the local community. Sycuan prides itself in the millions in charitable donations it makes annually to hundreds of San Diego organizations.
"Over the years, with all the trials and tribulations that the tribe has been though, it's kind of their time," Dinius said. "They've always been respectful with their growth and their prosperity and they've always given back, that's a cornerstone of their culture."
"There's a lot of things that this development does for the tribe that reinforces that commitment to the community, and it provides them more resources that allows them to give more to other folks," Dinius said. "It's just a very good time in our history and a very exciting time that they very much deserve."
