An artist’s rendering of the Habematolel Pomo’s Running Creek Casino, set to open in 2012 outside of Upper Lake, Calif. Image courtesy of JCJ Architecture.

UPPER LAKE, Calif. – Construction is set to resume on Northern California’s newest casino gaming facility.

Running Creek Casino, an enterprise of the Habematolel Pomo of Upper Lake, will be constructed in Upper Lake at a site along Highway 20.

The 33,000 square foot casino will feature 349 slot machines, six table games, a dining outlet, player’s club and gift shop.

The project, which already is under way, should add about 145 new jobs for area residents once it is built, the tribe reported Thursday.

“We’re very pleased to be moving forward with our construction plans,” said Tribal Chairperson Sherry Treppa. “Our goal is to make Running Creek Casino the most exciting gaming facility in the county, and the number one choice for visitors to the region.”

Treppa added, “The tribe is excited about creating new jobs here in our community and bringing more money to area businesses both during the construction phase and after through partnerships with local hotels and vendors. It is also our hope that this project will allow us to work towards economic self-sufficiency for our tribe, and that we can contribute to the economic success of Lake County and area tourism.”

Michael Schrader has been chosen as the general manager of the new facility. Schrader has experience opening new casino properties in Michigan and Oklahoma, and has worked in casinos for more than 12 years in a variety of managerial roles.

Running Creek is scheduled to open in the spring or early summer of 2012. The casino construction project began in 2004 and was approved by the Department of the Interior in August, as well as through a state compact signed in March by Gov. Jerry Brown.

The Habematolel Pomo of Upper Lake are a federally recognized tribe historically located in Upper Lake California.

In 2008, they were able to place 11.24 acres near their historic tribal lands into trust, which allowed them to create a gaming enterprise.

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