Leaders of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation will gather Tuesday afternoon to break ground on a massive expansion to its casino and hotel complex on Riverside Drive in Tulsa.
The new project will culminate in Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville Casino and Restaurant, which will feature a 22-story, 500-room hotel, a convention and meeting center, restaurants, and a spa.
The tribe announced the project last March.
The annual payroll for Margaritaville will total about $38 million.
It will cost about $333 million, and the Tulsa Metro Chamber says it's the largest private development along the Arkansas River in the city's history.
Principal Chief George Tiger tells KRMG "We're excited, to say the least."
He added, "We were the first tribe in Oklahoma to have gaming, and we were the first tribe to have high-stakes bingo. Now, we're just stepping up another level if you will of having a casino that has a real strong brand name."
The groundbreaking begins at 1:00 p.m. Tuesday.