AK-CHIN — So no finally means yes, it would seem.

As representatives from the Ak-Chin Indian Community, Harrah’s Entertainment and the city of Maricopa joined a crowd of more than 125 on hand last week for the groundbreaking of a $20 million, five-story hotel expansion project at Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino Resort, the facility’s general manager, Geoff Andres, gave a simple yet poignant anecdote to help answer an obvious question: “Why now?”

“Why would we be adding a hotel tower in a down economy? Well, I’ll tell you, my friends, we are sold out every night,” said an energetic Andres of the property’s current 140-plus-room setup. “In fact, do you guys want a room tonight? … Well you can’t have one, because we’re full!”

No, western Pinal County’s only gaming facility doesn’t have much availability, and yes, that’s exactly why the time is right, he contends, to expand.

“That’s been the story for us for quite some time,” he said. “We’re excited to be able to add these hotel rooms, we think it’s going to be a great thing for this business, and we also think it’s going to be a great thing for the city of Maricopa.”
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