"It's not exactly the shores of Gitche Gumee, but a California Indian tribe is about to take the next step in its dream to build a lavish $1 billion casino on the Richmond waterfront at Point Molate.

The project led by the Guidiville Band of Pomo Indians calls for two hotels, tony shops, restaurants and 124,000 square feet of gambling, surrounded by more than 300 homes. Parks and trails would dot the 85-acre site.

The first of two public hearings on the environmental report for the project will be held on Wednesday, and the upcoming public debate has already made for some strange political bedfellows.

A group called Citizens to Save Point Molate has received financial contributions from East Bay card clubs that don't want to compete with a high-end Bay Area casino. And while the majority of the Richmond City Council supports the plan, Mayor Gayle McLaughlin, a Green Party member, and Councilman Jeff Ritterman oppose it. They are joined by the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors.

"I think that using any form of gaming as the basis for economic development doesn't serve our community or the broader community," said Andres Soto, one of the organizers of the citizens group."

Get the Story:
Chip Johnson: Point Molate casino proposal up for debate (The San Francisco Chronicle 8/11)

Also Today:
Marin traffic impacts studied for proposed Richmond casino (The Marin Independent Journal 8/11)

Earlier Story:
Guidiville Band moves forward with casino plans (7/27)