Potential new casino near downtown Tucson

TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — There could be a new casino for Tucson, closer to downtown than any of the other local gaming sites.

An old movie theater on Grant near I-10 has a great location but it’s been shut down and dark for years. Now the Pascua Yaquis may turn it into a casino.

Part of a new gaming agreement between the State of Arizona and Arizona’s 22 tribes allowed the Pascua Yaqui to add a new casinoto the two the tribe operates now. Now a bill by Congress is allowing the theater site to officially become tribal land allows the Pascua Yaqui to start developing a casino there.

The location on Grant near I-10 will make it the closest casino to downtown Tucson and make it easy to reach from all over the region.

There’s no detail yet of the precise plan or any estimate of the customers or new jobs there.

At Grant and Fairview, Blessed Grounds Coffee Shop is close enough to the casino site to expect it to brew up more business for shops nearby.

Manager Amy Prillaman says, “We are a major family here and we just love on the community in general. And so I think any opportunity that we get to expand our customer base is another opportunity to one, impact the life to impact the community of Tucson but also to positively impact that casino as well. So I see it as a partnership in the making and maybe something beautiful to happen soon.”

Michael Guymon, the President and CEO of Tucson Metro Chamber says a big chunk of dormant land can drag down an area but it’s a powerful stimulant for the whole area when a big new business comes in.

“You bring back activity to a big property like that, and like you just talked about, there are employees but there's also a lot of individuals driving into that area that had historically not driven into that area. Well, I think some property owners and some businesses are going to recognize that and they're going to then invest and put new businesses in that area.”