The Catawba Indian Nation rolls the dice on a Cleveland County casino project with a hefty potential payout.
BY SHANNON CUTHRELL
A
visit to Kings Mountain makes clear that the city of about 11,000 residents takes great pride in its battlefield heritage. City signage, churches and small businesses make references to the historic Revolutionary War victory against British loyalists in 1780. Bat-
tleground Road, Battleground Community Church, Battleground Collision — all are reminders of the area’s patriot ghosts. A different sort of battle waged more recently may lead to a higher profile and new image for the Cleveland County town. Within city boundaries, a chunk of tribal land the size of 12 football fields is being developed into a Las Vegas-style casino and resort. A fenced-in construction area off Exit 5 of Interstate 85 houses a 14,706-square-foot temporary site of Two Kings Casino, which South Carolina’s Catawba Indian Nation wants to expand into a $273 million development. Several hundred slot machines started ringing July 1 at the makeshift site, while a permanent 56,000-square-foot building is expected to open next year. The full build-out depends on if Two Kings reaches its revenue targets, which initially call for $72 million in revenue in the first year and $150 million within five years. As many as 2,600 people could be on the payroll if the project excels.
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7/23/21 11:34 AM