The tribes next week will welcome the new Kah-Nee-Ta management and investment team. The company is AV Northwest, with senior partners Tom Hansen and Michael Gaskin.
February 1 is the planned transfer date to AV Northwest, the lease being for a term of 25 years.
At a meeting last year with the Tribal Council, Mr. Hansen and Mr. Gaskin gave some of the details of their plans for the resort and spa.
They are expecting to invest several million dollars into Kah-Nee-Ta, for many needed improvements, plus an expansion at the Village. AV Northwest will also implement a new marketing strategy for the resort.
Some current aspects of Kah-Nee-Ta will remain, for instance the focus on the tribal culture, the member hiring preference, and certain discounts for members.
Some of the planned improvements: A new heating and cooling system, new paint, improvements to the rooms, pools, restaurant and café, to name just a few.
Another interesting part of the plan is a new hydro- and physical therapy center at the Village. The hot springs would be put to use in the treatment of young people who are recovering from muscular and other conditions.
AV Northwest is planning a public meeting in the spring to present their plan.
Tribal Council last year approved the lease agreement with AV Northwest, as recommended by the Kah-Nee-Ta board of directors.
Bringing in an outside investment and management partner was the only way to keep the resort open, as Kah-Nee-Ta for the past few years has been costing the tribes.
Closing the resort would have eliminated up to 180 seasonal jobs.
