MISSION — One final beam was placed on top of the Wildhorse Resort & Casino (WRC) second hotel tower, 10 stories up in the air, during a topping-off ceremony signifying the end of the outer structure’s construction.

Prior to the March 25 ceremony, guests watched presentations from employees with Cuningham Architecture, Lydig Construction and the Wenaha Group outline the progress made during the past 11 months and what will happen as the project moves forward.

WRC CEO Gary George led the program, acknowledging the work of those participating in the project along with the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation’s (CTUIR) Planning Office and Cultural Resources.

Wenaha Senior Project Manager Jose Aparicio spoke about the ceremony’s significance.

“In construction, that term carries deep and meaningful significance. Historically, topping-off marks the moment when the highest structural element of a building is set in place,” Aparicio said. “It signals that the building has reached its full height and that the structure, the literal backbone of the project, is complete.”

Aparicio said it represents more than steel or concrete, but was a moment to pause, reflect and give thanks.

Brett Ewing, Cunningham’s principal national market leader in gaming and hospitality, gave an architecture update with Cunningham Senior Associate Elena Gonova detailing the building’s interior with renderings of rooms, restaurants, event spaces and meeting rooms.

CTUIR Tribal Employment Rights Office (TERO) Program Manager John Barkley commended the collaboration among Lydig, Wenaha and TERO.

“From a TERO perspective, we’re very happy with Lydig and Wenaha Group and everyone that’s been involved,” he said, “This has been a concerted effort.”

TERO works with Coyote Business Park construction contractors to promote Native American employment and subcontracting opportunities. Barkley said it was an opportunity to train tribal members in pre-apprenticeship construction and orient them in trade unions.

“We have people getting their apprenticeship hours on this project to reach journeyman status,” he said.

Lydig Senior Project Manager Joe Kelly echoed Barkley’s appreciation for the collaboration.

“We are just as excited as everyone else and thankful to get to play a part in such a significant project on campus here,” Kelly said. “This is a monumental project.”

CTUIR Board of Trustees (BOT) Vice Chair Aaron Ashley said it was awesome to see tribal members working on the expansion and gaining skills.

“These tribal members will be able to say ‘I helped build that.’” he said. “We’ve come a long way, and I am excited to see what the future holds for CTUIR.”

Lydig officials also showed a time-lapse from August 2024, when demolition began, to March 2026. After the presentation, guests toured the site led by Lydig Project Superintendent Ian Heyn. The tour included walking through the event center and spaces on the ground floor, as well as the building’s second floor and its hotel rooms.

It culminated in a ride to the roof, where guests watched as a crane lowered the final beam onto the building. Written on it was the date and the attendees’ signatures.

Ashley said the significance and symbolism behind the ceremony were reminders of the CTUIR’s self-sufficiency, sovereignty and self-determination.

“Wildhorse Resort & Casino is our economic engine that generates revenues that we use to provide services to our people, our community, as well as provide grant dollars through our Wildhorse Foundation to our friends and neighbors within our ceded territory,” he said.

At the same time, the Lydig and TERO construction crews were holding their topping-off celebration as lunch was provided to the employees.

“That is a huge gesture of gratitude and respect,” Ashley said, “I respect that, and I know the employees respect that.”

BOT Secretary Monica Paradise said the ceremony was a great way to reflect and celebrate.

“As the last beam was placed, I felt a huge sense of gratitude and pride in what the tribe has accomplished in the last 30-plus years, and I am looking forward to the opportunities and positive impacts for our economy and community,” Paradise said.

General Council Chairman Lindsey X. Watchman said it has been remarkable to witness the changes the CTUIR has accomplished over the last thirty years, from what was formerly a wheat field at the base of the Blue Mountains.

“Casino revenue significantly aids the tribal government’s ability to protect our Treaty, to care for our people and to be good stewards of our natural resources,” Watchman said.

With the final beam in place, construction moves to the inside. The hotel tower boasts 214 guest rooms, an event center with a configurable space, multiple dining areas and meeting rooms.

“The structure we see today represents thousands of hours of coordinated work completed with a shared commitment to safety and accountability that makes today worth celebrating,” Aparicio said, “As we look ahead, the project now shifts from building up to building in.”