Gila River Hotels & Casinos Breaks Ground on Chandler Expansion

Gila River Hotels & Casinos broke ground on a $143 million expansion project in Chandler, a move that aligns with the enterprise’s rapid growth in Arizona.

Scheduled to open in the Fall of 2021, an 11-story hotel tower will be added to Wild Horse Pass and connect to its existing hotel. The 150-foot tower will feature 205 guestrooms, for a total of 447 guestrooms on the property. Other highlights include rooftop dining with spectacular views, two pools, a new lounge and additional meeting space.

In partnership with Sundt Construction, Inc., TynanGroup and Friedmutter Group, this is the first expansion project for Gila River’s Wild Horse Pass property since it opened in 2009. The 26-year old enterprise, which is owned by the Gila River Indian Community (GRIC), also operates Lone Butte in Chandler and Vee Quiva in Laveen.


“This expansion is a major investment in the Gila River Indian Community and symbolic of a new chapter in our history,” said Gila River Hotels & Casinos CEO Kenneth Manuel. “It reflects our commitment to be a leader in the gaming and hospitality industry through enhanced experiences and amenities, and we look forward to seeing the continued representation of our community’s culture in the expansion project.”

Sundt Construction’s Project Executive Mike Nunn said he and his team are excited to be working with Gila River Hotels & Casinos.

“Our team is inspired to build the Wild Horse Pass expansion and working with Gila River Indian Community reminds us of our passion of quality, integrity and community support,” said Nunn. “When completed, the expansion will continue to provide a long-lasting and positive impact to the Community, and Sundt is honored to be an integral part of the project team.”

The project management firm of the expansion, TynanGroup, has managed the construction of hotel and casino projects for the Gila River Indian Community dating back to 1999 and was also involved with the initial construction of Gila River Hotels & Casinos – Wild Horse Pass.

Las Vegas-based Friedmutter Group, which is known for its iconic hotel and casino designs, is the project architect and has worked with the Gila River Indian Community for the past ten years on renovation and expansion projects for all of its existing casinos and hotel properties.