Northwest labor press., July 21, 2017, Page 5, Image 5

NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS | July 21, 2017 | PAGE 5
UNION BUILT
The recently opened ilani Casino Resort (pronounced ay-LAN-ay) in Ridge-
field, Washington, was union-built under a project labor agreement be-
tween the Cowlitz Tribe and the Columbia Pacific Building Trades Council.
Swinerton Builders is the general contractor. The $510 million
complex broke ground in September 2015, and was com-
pleted on April 24, 2017 — on time and under budget. It in-
cludes a 368,000 square foot casino with 100,000 square feet
of gaming space and 15 restaurants, bars and retail outlets; a
freeway interchange rebuild off I-5 that includes a four-lane
overpass with bicycle and pedestrian paths; and a water recla-
mation plant to treat casino sewage. More than 2,600 union
construction workers went through Swinerton’s job site safety
training program before entering the job site, said Project
Manager Cameron Coleman. The project logged a total of
764,000 work-hours for all of the construction trades. The next
phase is a 2,500-seat performance venue. Swinerton Builders
started construction last week, with completion slated for
spring of 2018. Also on the docket is a 250-room, 8-story re-
sort hotel. The ilani Casino (ilani means ‘sing’ in the Cowlitz lan-
guage) is located 25 miles north of Portland on I-5 at Exit 16.
It was developed by the Cowlitz Tribe in partnership with the
Mohegan Tribe of Connecticut.
Photos by Mike Brewington