Choctaw Landing casino, resort now open in Hochatown: 'It’s a great day'

Choctaw Landing the Choctaw Nation’s new, $238 million, 100-room luxury resort and casino, has opened in Hochatown by celebrating like somebody playing a hot slot machine.

“Any time you can bring our culture and our history together, along with economic development for our tribal members and the citizens of this area, it’s a great day,” Chief Gary Batton said at the recent grand opening. “We broke ground down here two years ago, and to see our grand opening today and all the things we’re going to be able to bring to McCurtain County, it’s exciting."

He added, "I love that we’re seeing our culture and history displayed here and that it’s an economic boost to this area. Hopefully people will learn about Choctaw Nation here more than ever before.” 

Choctaw dancers and singers performed, and attendees participated in traditional Choctaw activities like flintknapping, weaponry and pottery. 

Hochatown welcomes Choctaw Landing casino and resort

Hochatown Mayor Dian Jordan said the tiny town welcomed the resort and its cultural preservation.

"It's amazing to see a small town of 242 permanent residents having our neighbor be the Choctaw Landing. We look forward to the tribe's presence, as they bring experiential cultural representation to our tourist-centric community," she said "The resort was intentionally designed for immersion and participation. For instance,  visitors are invited to join in the traditional dances that are being held at the amphitheater.

"We look forward to working with the tribe on promoting cultural and ecotourism in Hochatown."

Native American tourism 'leading the way in economic development' in Oklahoma

Oklahoma Lt. Gov. Matt Pinnell highlighted the impact Oklahoma’s sovereign nations, such as the Choctaw Nation, have had on the tourism industry in Oklahoma.   

“You are leading the way in economic development,” Pinnell said in a news release from Choctaw Landing. “Oklahoma is Oklahoma because of our 39 sovereign nations. This is Native America. In Oklahoma, our tourism industry is the third largest industry in the state because of our sovereign nations.”

Economic impact and features of Choctaw Landing casino and resort

Choctaw Landing created more than 400 jobs and will have an estimated $95 million annual economic impact on the region some 240 miles southeast of Oklahoma City.

The resort includes:

A casino with 600 slot machines, eight table games including roulette and blackjack, 100 guest rooms and suites, conference rooms, a restaurant, three outdoor dining/bar options, a fitness center, a pool area with nine cabanas, two hot tubs, three fire pits, a mercantile with gifts and groceries, a deli, a Starbucks and a 24-pump fuel station.

Choctaw art, culture and nature key to design and development of Choctaw Landing casino and resort in Hochatown, Oklahoma

Choctaw Landing partnered with 20 Choctaw artists from across the country to create original artwork for the resort and developed an interactive Art Hike for guests. Using AI technology, a "digital twin" of Chief Batton will guide visitors as they learn about the culture, art and history of the Choctaw Nation.  

“From the planning stages years ago, we knew that we wanted to bring something to this community that brought culture first and foremost,” said Heidi Grant, senior executive officer over commerce. “Culture was prevalent in the design and development stages. We were very considerate about the nature and community aspects and how we could fit and complement this area.”   

CBRE Group reports these commercial real estate transactions

AWL Investments LLC paid $2.625 million to TRH Investment Co. LLC and HHKV LLC a 37,298-square-foot industrial building on 2.5 acres at 5 N Pennsylvania Ave and 7 S Pennsylvania Ave. Randy Lacey and Chris Zach, with CBRE, represented the seller. 

Joe Todd Jackson Revocable Trust paid $795,000 to RJR Investments LLC for a 7,000-square-foot industrial building on 0.7 acre at 804 Messenger Lane in Moore. Lacey and Zach represented the seller. 

4812 Lingo Holding LLC paid $289,327 to Acme Brick Co. for 35.07 acres at SW 29 and S Choctaw Avenue near El Reno. Lacey and Zach handled the transaction. 

Consolidated Electrical Distributors Inc. leased 7,716 square feet of industrial space on 0.69 acre from Bristol Partners LLC at 14815 Bristol Park Blvd. in Edmond. Lacey and Zach represented the tenant. Jason Hammock, Caitlin Mazaheri and Joe Summers, with CBRE, represented the landlord. 

Bob Moore Auto Group LLC leased 12,000 square feet of industrial space on 1.2 acres from John R. Colbert Real Estate Holdings at 3700 S Kelly Ave. in Edmond. Lacey and Zach handled the transaction.

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Senior Business Writer Richard Mize has covered housing, construction, commercial real estate and related topics for the newspaper and Oklahoman.com since 1999. Contact him at rmize@oklahoman.com. Sign up for his weekly newsletter, Real Estate with Richard Mize. You can support Richard's work, and that of his colleagues, by purchasing a digital subscription to The Oklahoman. Right now, you can get 6 months of subscriber-only access for $1.