While traffic has calmed since the Graton Resort & Casino opened on Nov. The true impact, however, has been more subtle - and more potent - than many had anticipated. Advocates countered it would unleash an economic tidal wave that would create jobs, fill government coffers and lift the fortunes of a tribe whose traditional lands were taken away by Congress more than 150 years ago. Thousands of people clogged Highway 101 and side streets to experience the debut of the $825 million Las Vegas-style gambling hub, built in a former cow pasture in a collaboration between a Nevada casino giant and a once-destitute Native American tribe.Ĭritics warned the 320,000-square-foot facility would lead to sharp increases in traffic, crime and personal bankruptcies while damaging the region’s environment and depleting its groundwater supply. Five years ago, the largest casino in the Bay Area threw open its doors on the western outskirts of Rohnert Park amid much fear - and hope - about the ways it would change Sonoma County.

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