Hard Rock Sacramento invests billions for an entertainment zone next door
YUBA COUNTY – A multi-billion-dollar project is coming to Yuba County. Hard Rock Hotel and Casino is planning to bring a sports and entertainment zone to the land between the casino and the Toyota Amphitheatre.
The county said back in 1998, voters in the area passed a local measure to redesignate 1,000 acres from agriculture to a sports and entertainment zone. Now, that zone is finally going to be built on roughly 350 acres.
"So this is quite a large chunk of that thousand acres to bring that vision to fruition," said Yuba County Supervisor District 4 Gary Bradford.
Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Sacramento and the Enterprise Rancheria, which owns it, are investing billions of dollars to create an entertainment district right next door.
"So we've begun the preliminary due diligence over the last 18 months to try to design and develop what we believe are the right concepts to bring here to northern california that don't really exist in the region, really not anywhere in the state or the west coast," said president of Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Sacramento Mark Birtha.
The tribe is still working on acquiring the land, but Hard Rock said they're now in the stage of looking for investors and development partners. They say they could break ground as early as next year.
"I think it'd be good. I'm ok with it. I like change. I like shopping, walking, I'd come over here and see what they have," said Yuba City resident Connie Gentil.
Hard Rock said they're looking into making three zones. The first is an entertainment zone for festivals, outdoor retail and dining. The second is a rodeo fairground to keep the culture of the county alive. The third is a hospitality sector with hotels, convention space and water park features.
"Not only will it bring tourists here to Yuba County from all across Northern California and beyond, but it will give local residents places to eat and dine and shop, things they lack right now," Bradford said.
"The construction jobs alone will be in the thousands over the next 5-20 years or so," Birtha said.
Hard Rock Casino said it has had a $2.5 billion regional impact since opening its doors in 2019. This new project is expected to create another big boost.
"I anticipate over the next two to three years, you'll begin to start to see some work out here happening that will be the beginning of what will be an amazing master plan in the future," Birtha said.
The casino says they're working closely with the county on logistics. Yuba County received the largest federal grant it's ever gotten, as part of a project to extend Highway 70 over to an area near the Toyota Amphitheatre.
