Gila River tribe picks Perini to build new hotel, casino at Vee Quiva

The Gila River Indian Community has picked Perini Building Company Inc. to develop and construct a new casino and resort hotel at the tribe’s Vee Quiva Casino in Laveen. The Gila River tribal council gave final approval to Perini to build a 90-room hotel and new $135 million casino at the Vee Quiva location off 51st Avenue south of Baseline Road in the southwest Valley. The GRIC’s gaming operations also previously picked Perini over other contractors bidding for the project. GRIC Tribal Gaming Office director Courtney Moyah said Perini is currently grading the land slated for construction and conducting ecological surveys. He expects the new casino and hotel to open in the fall of next year. Moyah said once the new gaming facility is built by Perini the tribe will decide what do with the existing Vee Quiva casino. Demolishing the existing casino is an option, Moyah said. Gila River officials said they received a handful of other bids, but did not say which other contractors’ hats were in the ring. The Vee Quiva location is 15 miles south of Interstate 10 on Gila River lands in Laveen. Perini is based in Las Vegas but has a sizable footprint in Phoenix. The company did not comment on the Vee Quiva work, nor did a number of other construction companies and industry officials contacted for this story. Perini Building is part of the larger Tutor Perini Corp. (NYSE: TPC). The California-based company on May 4 reported quarterly revenues of $912.5 million compared with $615.3 million a year ago. Tutor Perini, however, posted a $1.2 million loss in its most recent 2012 quarter versus a $6.9 million profit a year ago. Tutor’s most recent quarterly earnings release references $82 million in new casino work in Arizona, but does not disclose a specific tribe or development.

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