Yreka, Calif. — Heavy snow has stalled construction on the new Rain Rock Casino in Yreka, but on Monday, crews got back to work with a boom. Workers cleared the area for an explosion, to break up large rocks that project manager Terry Smith said couldn’t be removed any other way.
“It was too hard, and too voluminous for use to get into our equipment,” Smith said. “So we’re making it smaller so we can take it down, and get ourselves to the building line of the proposed casino.”
Smith and his crew spent hours preparing for the explosion. At 2:30 PM, it was detonated, with a blast that could be heard for miles. It’s nearly the final step in an excavating process that began late last year.
Karuk Tribal Council Member Sonny Davis said this project has been a long time in the making.
“I’ve been on the council for about eight or nine years, and I’ve been waiting for this to happen for quite a while,” Davis said.
The plans include the casino, a motel, and a fuel station. Tribal leaders expect it will create around 300 new jobs for the area.
“It’s going to be a great happening for the tribe and the people and community to get this casino going,” Davis said.
Once the building process begins, it’s not expected to take long. Tribal leaders say the entire project should wrap up by this Fall.
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