Groundbreaking planned for Madera casino 20 years in the making

A long-awaited Indian gaming project in Madera will be starting construction soon.

North Fork Rancheria Tribal Council announced the groundbreaking for the North Fork Mono Casino & Resort on Saturday, Sept. 7.

The project has been in the works for the nearly 20 years , having to pass through a multidecade administrative approval process and delayed over the years by law lawsuits, including one from Stand up for California, a statewide activist group that opposes gaming developments.

The North Fork Rancheria Tribal Council is making plans to transport tribal citizens to the groundbreaking due to limited parking on site. No other details of the event have been released. The site is located along Highway 99 north of Madera.

The North Fork Mono Casino & Resort will include 2,000 slot machines, 40 table games, a 200-room hotel, two restaurants and a food court, an entertainment lounge, retail space and meeting rooms.

The North Fork Rancheria of Mono Indians began to pursuit to build the casino in 2003, with the federal government approving the plans under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act in 2011.