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RV park foundation: Construction is under way on an RV park behind the Seven Feathers Truck and Travel Center in Canyonville. Across Interstate 5 from the casino and hotel, the park will offer 200 spaces for recreational vehicles as well as laundry facilities, bathrooms, showers, and a rec building with a swimming pool.
CANYONVILLE -- The Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians is set on making Canyonville a tourist destination.
With a few changes at the Seven Feathers Hotel and Casino Resort and the construction of a new -- and larger -- RV park behind the Seven Feathers Truck and Travel Center, the goal is to make the area even more attractive to travelers.
From September through December, the casino will be expanded with the construction of a second floor where the new bingo hall will be located. The new area is almost 9,000 square feet.
The current bingo hall, located on the first floor, will be used for offices, banquet space, and more slot machines. Currently, the casino has 1,045 slot machines available.
The goal is to make the casino "more player-friendly," said Susan Ferris, the tribe's spokeswoman.
Across Interstate 5 from the casino, the new RV park will offer 200 spaces for recreational vehicles.
It sits on 23 acres, surrounded by trees, hills and with the seasonal Jordan Creek running through it. The park, which is already under construction, is expected to open by the end of this year. Each of the parking spaces has a full hookup, including two for sewer.
"We can accommodate the most modern RV in the world," said Jeff Byers, project manager.
The area will be fully landscaped, with walking paths and support buildings. Byers said there are also plans to eventually make the creek permanent with the addition of fish.
"We're striving for a lot of natural things to happen here," he said.
Laundry, showers and bathrooms will be available in two different buildings around the park. The centerpiece feature, however, is an 8,200-square-foot recreational building equipped with a swimming pool, a few showers and a kitchen. The building can be reserved for family gatherings and parties.
The park's main office will offer 24-hour service for travelers.
"This is gonna be a destination resort RV Park," Byers said.
Byers said there have already been "calls to have units coming in," including caravans and individuals. The rates for the park have not been set yet, he said.
In front of the RV park, the truck stop is also scheduled to undergo some changes in the near future, though a specific date has not been set. The current tire building will be expanded into a mechanic, maintenance and support shop for trucks and RVs.
Almost 70 new parking spots should be added to the existing parking lot. Byers said the traffic at the Seven Feathers Truck and Travel Center is continuously increasing, and additional parking spaces are in demand.
Less than a mile north of the truck stop, the Cow Creek Tribe will be building a rest area. The rest area will replace the existing South Umpqua rest area, between Myrtle Creek and Canyonville.
The tribe and the Oregon Department of Transportation are working together to finalize the rest area plans, Byers said. However, no agreements on the project have been made.
"Our focus has been the plans to improve the interchange," said Paul Mather, manager of ODOT's southern region.
Right now, ODOT is working on plans to renovate the bridges and interchange at Interstate 5 Exit 99. The plans should be completed in the next two to three months, Mather said.
He said the rest area built by the tribe would be the first one privately owned in Oregon. However, he said ODOT has also approached other private investors throughout the state to take care of other rest areas.
"It may be the first, but it won't be the last," he said.
The trend is to have private investors take over rest areas in order to improve the facilities, as well as keep maintenance in check and improve security. Mather said ODOT will have provisions to hold private investors accountable for the rest areas, though specifics will depend on each agreement.
It takes ODOT at least $250,000 a year just to maintain rest areas, he said. In the South Umpqua rest area, expenses to upgrade the sewer system alone would cost more than $1 million, he said.
* You can reach reporter Juliana Renno at 957-4230 or by e-mail at jrenno@newsreview.info.
With a few changes at the Seven Feathers Hotel and Casino Resort and the construction of a new -- and larger -- RV park behind the Seven Feathers Truck and Travel Center, the goal is to make the area even more attractive to travelers.
From September through December, the casino will be expanded with the construction of a second floor where the new bingo hall will be located. The new area is almost 9,000 square feet.
The current bingo hall, located on the first floor, will be used for offices, banquet space, and more slot machines. Currently, the casino has 1,045 slot machines available.
The goal is to make the casino "more player-friendly," said Susan Ferris, the tribe's spokeswoman.
Across Interstate 5 from the casino, the new RV park will offer 200 spaces for recreational vehicles.
It sits on 23 acres, surrounded by trees, hills and with the seasonal Jordan Creek running through it. The park, which is already under construction, is expected to open by the end of this year. Each of the parking spaces has a full hookup, including two for sewer.
"We can accommodate the most modern RV in the world," said Jeff Byers, project manager.
The area will be fully landscaped, with walking paths and support buildings. Byers said there are also plans to eventually make the creek permanent with the addition of fish.
"We're striving for a lot of natural things to happen here," he said.
Laundry, showers and bathrooms will be available in two different buildings around the park. The centerpiece feature, however, is an 8,200-square-foot recreational building equipped with a swimming pool, a few showers and a kitchen. The building can be reserved for family gatherings and parties.
The park's main office will offer 24-hour service for travelers.
"This is gonna be a destination resort RV Park," Byers said.
Byers said there have already been "calls to have units coming in," including caravans and individuals. The rates for the park have not been set yet, he said.
In front of the RV park, the truck stop is also scheduled to undergo some changes in the near future, though a specific date has not been set. The current tire building will be expanded into a mechanic, maintenance and support shop for trucks and RVs.
Almost 70 new parking spots should be added to the existing parking lot. Byers said the traffic at the Seven Feathers Truck and Travel Center is continuously increasing, and additional parking spaces are in demand.
Less than a mile north of the truck stop, the Cow Creek Tribe will be building a rest area. The rest area will replace the existing South Umpqua rest area, between Myrtle Creek and Canyonville.
The tribe and the Oregon Department of Transportation are working together to finalize the rest area plans, Byers said. However, no agreements on the project have been made.
"Our focus has been the plans to improve the interchange," said Paul Mather, manager of ODOT's southern region.
Right now, ODOT is working on plans to renovate the bridges and interchange at Interstate 5 Exit 99. The plans should be completed in the next two to three months, Mather said.
He said the rest area built by the tribe would be the first one privately owned in Oregon. However, he said ODOT has also approached other private investors throughout the state to take care of other rest areas.
"It may be the first, but it won't be the last," he said.
The trend is to have private investors take over rest areas in order to improve the facilities, as well as keep maintenance in check and improve security. Mather said ODOT will have provisions to hold private investors accountable for the rest areas, though specifics will depend on each agreement.
It takes ODOT at least $250,000 a year just to maintain rest areas, he said. In the South Umpqua rest area, expenses to upgrade the sewer system alone would cost more than $1 million, he said.
* You can reach reporter Juliana Renno at 957-4230 or by e-mail at jrenno@newsreview.info.
