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Project Overview 

The Tonto Apache Tribe (Tonto) is looking to build a hotel; this will be in addition to the  existing 40 guest rooms and a family entertainment center (FEC) which will be located on  reservation land that is adjacent to the casino/hotel.  

Tonto is seeking a qualified independent consulting firm for the purposes of conducting a feasibility study for our organization. We are looking for a partner who is experienced with  planning and conducting a feasibility study and has extensive knowledge of hotel and FEC  industry. 

Apache Corners (www.ApacheCorners.com) is a multi-year-old community and economic  planning effort by the Tonto Apache Tribal Nation. Beginning in 2020, Tonto Apache focused on  what economic opportunities existed that would benefit their Nations economy and benefit the region. Approximately 75 acres on the reservation will be used to build the future Tonto Apache  economy! (including trust land on the east and west sides of A-87) is slated for development with  an effort to capture dollars leaking outside the economy and stimulate not only the Tonto Apache economy, but the entire region. The total development is slated for a mixed-use  approach focused on building an economy from their initial businesses with the Tonto  Apache government, Mazatzal Casino and Hotel, Convenience Store and Tire Shop. Future developments in the first phase will include an entertainment district with a distillery  and additional restaurants, two convenience stores, family entertainment center and infrastructure improvements. Additional developments will focus on a health center, training and educational partnership, grocery store, cannabis dispensary, warehousing, and  light manufacturing. The plan is to connect parcels on the east and west side of A-87 through finding ways for pedestrian safety, traffic calming and efficiency improvements. The  total impacts to the Tonto Apache Nation and regional economy are significant! 

▪ Economic Impact $89.2MM 

▪ New Jobs 1,043 

▪ New Wages $30.5MM 

▪ Tax Impact $9.1MM

Cost 

Proposals must include the estimated cost for all work related to tasks and deliverables. Each market study for the hotel and FEC must contain the following information: 

Hotel 

  • Number and mix of guest rooms 
  • Room configuration 
  • Full service or limited service 
  • Food and beverage concept 
  • Flagged or Independent 
  • Size of rooms, room mix (King, Double Queen, etc.) 
  • Identify meeting or conference space and size 
  • Overall footprint of the hotel 
  • Proposed software package for PMS (Property Management System) 

FEC 

  • Proposed attractions 
  • Identify support areas (F&B, meeting rooms, etc.)  
  • Proposed software package to run FEC 
  • Overall footprint of FEC 

Key Components 

  • Comparative Methodology – comparison to similar venues 
  • Comparative Map Analysis 
  • Market Considerations 
  • Marketing & Sales 
  • Advertising 
  • Drive Time for Target Markets 
  • U. S. Population Within Primary Trade Area to Subject Site 
  • U. S. Population Comparison to Similar Hotel and FEC Markets • U. S. Household Comparisons to Similar Markets for Hotel and FEC • Number of Hotels Compared to Population 
  • U.S. Household Income Comparison to Stand-Alone Markets 
  • U.S. Disposable Household Income Comparisons to Stand-Alone Markets • Consultant Opinion 
  • Consultant Conclusion 
  • Projected Operating Statement for Hotel and FEC 
  • Forecasted Operating Statement for Hotel and FEC 
  • Forecasted Resort Performance for Hotel and FEC 
  • Hotel and FEC Projected Resort Performance 
  • Hotel and FEC Cash Flow Statement 
  • Hotel & FEC Projected Cash-on-Cash Return
  • Hotel & FEC Projected Potential 10 Year Blended 
  • Hotel & FEC Forecasted IRR on Investment 
  • Preliminary Budget for Hotel & FEC 

Provide Biographies of Key Staff 

Please include a summary of the experience of all key staff. 

Submit to / Project Contact 

Any questions you may have regarding the project or RFP should be directed to [email protected] 

Schedule 

Please provide the feasibility study deadline in the proposal. 

Deadline 

Please submit your proposal by 7/31/25 at 5pm PST to [email protected] with the proposal response and the following information: 

Contact Person, Title: 

Phone: 

Email: 

Organization Name and Address: 

DO NOT CONTACT THE TRIBE DIRECTLY!

About the Tonto Apache Tribe 

The Tonto Apache Tribe is located adjacent to the town of Payson (originally named Te-go-suk,  Place of the Yellow Water), in northwestern Gila County approximately 95 miles northeast of  Phoenix and 100 miles southeast of Flagstaff, Arizona. 

The total population of the Tonto Apache Reservation is approximately 140 of which 110 are  enrolled tribal members. 102 members live on the reservation (Tonto Apache Tribe, 1994). One third of the tribal members are under the age of 16 (BIA, Indians of Arizona, 1994). 

Attractions 

As a result of the small size of the reservation, there are no significant geographic features within  the reservation and natural resources such as timber and minerals are quite limited. Elevations  range from 4,975 feet to 5,115 feet. 

However, the reservation is surrounded by a variety of major land forms. The Mazatzal  Mountains are located to the west; the Sierra Ancha Mountains are to the south; and the  Mogollon Rim to the north. 

The Mogollon Rim, just minutes from the reservation, offers beautiful pines, lakes, streams,  camping and hunting. The winter snow provides unlimited skiing, snowmobiling and even cross country snowshoe racing. 

Gaming 

On September 3, 1994, the Mazatzal Casino opened for business. It is a 35,000 square-foot  casino which includes over 300 slot machines, a poker room, a 300-seat bingo hall, restaurant,  sports lounge and gift shop. The casino is one of the largest employers in Payson, Arizona,  employing over 300. Other casino amenities include: 

  • Mazatzal Casino with restaurant and sports bar 
  • An all-suite hotel (40 guest rooms) with indoor swimming pool, spa, fitness center and  conference room. 
  • Once a month a concert features a cover band.

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