Chukchansi COO aims for a September opening, but no date set

There is a confidence in Christian Goode’s declaration that Chukchansi Gold Resort & Casino is reopening in September.

Goode, the facility’s chief operating officer, doesn’t have an opening date set. And he acknowledges a Labor Day weekend opening was an ambitious goal and won’t happen.

But opening the Coarsegold hotel and casino is made even more complicated because approvals are needed from the federal government and state attorney general. Madera County supervisors also must reach an agreement with the tribe for law enforcement and firefighting services.

Still, Goode and the nearly 150 workers inside the casino are pushing ahead, making sure the casino and hotel are ready to open at a moment’s notice. People show up at the casino every day to apply for jobs. Over the weekend, he said, a couple hundred applications were submitted online.

The casino closed last October after a factional dispute and casino office raid that led to evacuation of the hotel and casino. The following day, the National Indian Gaming Commission and the attorney general closed the facility. It hasn’t reopened.

State and federal officials have been circumspect about when the casino and hotel might reopen. A federal judge in Fresno also must approve the reopening before guests can be welcomed back.

When it does reopen, Goode said, he expects the casino and hotel to have more than 1,000 employees. That’s about the same number it had when it closed.

And when the doors reopen, those employees will focus on guest services.

“When we open there will be pent-up demand, so we want to be prepared for it,” Goode said. “We want to make sure the guests remain very comfortable, very happy.”

Some of the more complicated issues for the 11-story building turned out not to be problems at all.

The facility’s heating, ventilation and air conditioning system, elevators and fire alarm all worked properly when Goode arrived in July, he said.

Goode said the gaming area also was in good condition when he started the reopening process more than a month ago. Of the more than 1,300 machines the casino owns, only 13 needed updated software after being tested by state gaming officials and an independent testing firm, he said.

About 500 more machines will be leased. Those new machines will freshen up the gaming floor with some more recent gaming releases, Goode said.

There will be 1,800 slots when the casino opens, the maximum allowed under the license. The gaming facility also will have 40 table games.

The restaurants also have passed inspection. A change is in store for the Deuces 1950s-style cafe, which will change to a taco truck-type restaurant and a dessert and sweets shop, Goode said. Food, in general, he said, will be improved.

Visitors will get incentives to return, but those promotions may not be the same as from the past.

The facility offers more food and beverage venues, and a hotel and spa, so the focus will be to use those attributes to attract longer-term stays, Goode said.

Overall, he said, he was pleasantly surprised with the condition of the casino and resort when he arrived in July.

“The facility didn’t close in the best of circumstances, but it was in fantastic shape,” Goode said. “It hasn’t been a slow process (of preparing to reopen), but it’s been methodical and well-thought out.”

This story was originally published August 31, 2015 at 6:17 PM with the headline "Chukchansi COO aims for a September opening, but no date set."