Grand Ronde tribe buys former dog track, fuels casino rumors

WOOD VILLAGE, Ore. (AP) – The Grand Ronde tribal confederation has purchased a former greyhound racetrack in Wood Village, fueling new rumors about whether a casino will end up on the property.

`Tribal officials announced the purchase of the Multnomah Greyhound Park on Thursday, saying they bought the property to ensure that no competing casino will be built there, the Oregonian reports.

The greyhound track closed in 2004 and the 31-acre site has since been eyed by developers as a private casino. The Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde effectively campaigned against those efforts.

“I wouldn’t say we would never do gaming there,” said Justin Martin, a Grand Ronde lobbyist, adding that the tribe could go in that direction if the “face of gaming changes in Oregon.”

If they were to try to open a casino at the track they would face regulatory hurdles including a state policy that limits each tribe to one casino on reservation land. The Grand Ronde confederation operates Spirit Mountain Casino southwest of Portland.

“While we cannot rule anything out in terms of the future of gaming in Oregon,” tribal Chairman Reyn Leno was quoted as saying, “our priority at this time is to develop this property in a manner that diversifies our investment holdings.”

Wood Village City Manager Bill Peterson said he spoke with tribal officials about the site for the last several months and that he and other city officials believe a mixed-used development could be successful.

“We still do not know what the intended land-use purposes are,” he said.

The property was purchased for an undisclosed price. Track owner Art McFadden listed the racetrack earlier this year with an $11.2 million asking price

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Information from: The Oregonian, http://www.oregonlive.com