Dispute forces setback for construction of Kings Mountain casino

KINGS MOUNTAIN, N.C. — Business owners eager to see more customers from the Kings Mountain casino are troubled by delays in the project.

The Catawba Nation has plans for a large resort and casino off Interstate 85.

Channel 9′s Cleveland County reporter Ken Lemon learned a dispute with the developer forced a setback, which concerns people with businesses nearby.

There has been a temporary casino in operation for two years.

A mound of dirt behind it is from work on the permanent casino that should be open now.

Catawba Two Kings said the temporary casino is drawing crowds and occasionally paying off big.

The permanent casino will be at least three times bigger.

There are no slot machines in nearby Grover but business owners are hoping for a spillover from visitors.

“We are off the beaten path. There not much around us,” said Linda Brackett, owner of Carolina Crossings restaurant.

She said business has already seen a boom from the construction workers at the permanent site for the resort and casino.

“We are seeing about a 25%, 30% percent increase already,” Brackett said.

Brackett thinks she could see another 30% jump once the plans are done.

A dispute between The Catawba Nations which operates the casino and their developer has slowed the project that’s already well behind schedule.

Construction on the permanent casino was supposed to start in 2022.

If that happened, Catawba Nation’s estimated work would have been complete by this year, and the 400-bed resort would have been complete as early as 2024 and as late as 2025.

Delays have moved those estimates back by at least two years.

The chief of the Catawba Nations said they are working on a solution and promises progress.

©2023 Cox Media Group