Kah-Nee-Ta Golf Course (Wasco County, Oregon scenic images) (wascD0027)

Kah-Nee-Ta Resort & Spa was a resort in central

Oregon Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

, on the

Warm Springs Indian Reservation The Warm Springs Indian Reservation consists of in north-central Oregon, in the United States, and is governed by the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs. Tribes Three tribes form the confederation: the Wasco, Tenino (Warm Springs) and Pa ...

, near the community of Warm Springs in Jefferson County. It closed on 5 September 2018, laying off all its employees. It is planned to reopen in the summer of 2023.

History

Kah-Nee-Ta Resort was started by a non-Indigenous doctor who owned land around the hot springs of the

Warm Springs River The Warm Springs River is a tributary of the Deschutes River in north-central Oregon in the United States. It flows generally southeast along the east side of the Cascade Range. The watershed is approximately between Mount Jefferson and Timoth ...

. In 1961, the Tribes purchased the land back and started to rebuild the spa. The great flood of 1964 damaged the spa and the bridge accessing it. In 1964–1965, the Tribes built an Olympic-sized swimming pool, cottages, restaurant, and tepees.

Expansion

In 1971, the Tribes began construction of the Kah-Nee-Ta Lodge using funds from low-interest loans from the

Economic Development Administration The U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) is an agency in the United States Department of Commerce that provides grants and technical assistance to economically distressed communities in order to generate new employment, help retain exist ...

(EDA).

Zimmer Gunsul Frasca ZGF Architects LLP (ZGF), formerly Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Partnership, is an American Architectural firm founded in 1942 based in Portland, Oregon with seven offices in the United States and Canada. History The company was founded in 1942 in Po ...

Architects designed the lodge. Today it stands as an example of seventies architecture, with strong North America indigenous and Scandinavian influences. The gigantic fireplace in the lobby represents all of that: Raw concrete, North America Indigenous symbols, and Artichoke lamps by

Poul Henningsen Poul Henningsen (9 September 1894 – 31 January 1967) was a Danish author, critic, architect, and designer. In Denmark, where he often is referred to simply as PH, he was one of the leading figures of the cultural life of Denmark between the Worl ...

for

Louis Poulsen Louis Poulsen is a Danish lighting manufacturer that was founded in 1874. Louis Poulsen Lighting is represented by subsidiaries, distribution offices and agents around the world. Their key sales regions are Scandinavia, Europe, Japan and United S ...

. In 1995, the Tribes expanded operations to include a casino and improved convention center. In 2001, the resort and casino were combined to form Kah-Nee-Ta High Desert Resort & Casino, which also included a golf course.

Casino relocation

While Kah-Nee-Ta's casino netted $2–4 million annually, the tribes expected a more accessible location to earn $8–12 million. The resort's casino closed in December 2011 in preparation for relocating the business to a new property beside U.S. Route 26, where it was hoped that the more convenient location for travellers would draw even more customers. The casino reopened as the

Indian Head Casino The Warm Springs Indian Reservation consists of in north-central Oregon, in the United States, and is governed by the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs. Tribes Three tribes form the confederation: the Wasco, Tenino (Warm Springs) and P ...

in February 2012.

Demise of the resort

The resort shifted its focus to its family-friendly amenities, including the golf course and spa. The resort filed a WARN notice with the

State State may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State * ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States * ''Our S ...

on 6 July 2018, announcing plans to permanently lay off 146 employees starting 5 September 2018. Along with the layoffs came the closure of the resort, which included its lodge, spa, hotel, and RV park. In spite of efforts to maintain operations, the resort closed in September 2018.

Partial Reopening

In the last week of February, 2022, the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs approved spending $4.58 million to reopen portions of the resort. Included in the proposed facilities to come back online are the Village, which includes soaking pools, teepees, RV Sites and a 30-room hotel. The Lodge and golf course are not scheduled to be reopened. Reopening is planned sometime in 2023.

References

External links

* {{Authority control Buildings and structures in Jefferson County, Oregon Casinos in Oregon Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs Native American casinos Tourist attractions in Jefferson County, Oregon Native American history of Oregon