Investors look into possible resort destination in Barstow
BARSTOW • An investment group is hoping to develop land in Barstow into a possible resort destination.
The Texas-based Buyer Group International, Inc., announced Friday in a press release that it has entered into a joint venture to develop 40 acres of property in Barstow along the Interstate 15 corridor.
Buyer Group President Dave Bryant said the plans are still tentative, as the investors are trying to determine what the most lucrative use for the property would be. Some of the options on the table include a truck stop and hotel complex, an industrial park for off-loading freight, or a casino resort, he said.
Because plans are in preliminary stages, Bryant did not disclose the name of Buyer Group’s business partner or the exact location of the project site, which he described as being within the outer city limits along the interstate. The investors plan to establish a new corporation or trust for the project and to approach the city within the next six months with a proposal.
Buyer Group is currently trying to raise $300,000 to $500,000 for the initial phase of the project, while the second partner has committed to contribute $616,000, according to the press release. In a second phase, the investors will look to raise $3 or $4 million for the development.
Although the press release mentions plans for a “resort style entertainment facility,” Bryant said the investors have no concrete plans for a casino and have not opened talks with any tribes.
“We do not have a partnership with any Indian tribes, and that’s something I think we’re willing to explore,” he said.
A proposal by the Los Coyotes Band of Cahuilla and Cupeno, Big Lagoon Rancheria tribes to build a casino in Barstow and a competing proposal by the Chemehuevi tribes were shot down by the federal government in January 2008 because Barstow was not located within “a reasonable commuting distance” of their reservations.
Chemehuevi tribal Chairman Charles Wood said Friday the tribe is currently waiting to see who will be appointed to head up the Bureau of Indian Affairs under the Obama administration and whether the new director will change a federal rule that requires casinos to be built no more than 25 miles from tribal headquarters. Unless that happens, no casino projects are likely to be coming to Barstow, he said.
Los Coyotes representatives could not be reached Friday.
City Economic Development Director Ron Rector said Friday that he was not familiar with the Buyer Group International project.
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