A small Pomo Indian tribe on Mendocino County’s sparsely populated south coast has begun moving earth in preparation for a casino.

The Manchester-Point Arena Band of Pomo Indians hopes to have a 8,836 square-foot, 249 slot-machine casino built by Spring 2010, said tribal council member Eloisa Oropeza.

The tribal land is between Manchester and Point Arena, a little over a mile east of Highway 1.

“It is really exciting,” she said.

The tribe has yet to nail down financing for the project but is optimistic despite a recession that has halted or shrunk other casino projects.

“Trying to build a casino right now anywhere in the United States is a huge challenge in large part because of the inability to get financing,” said Doug Elmets, who represents about 10 California tribes.

Just north of Ukiah, the Coyote Valley Band of Pomo Indians’ plan to replace its tent-like Shodakai Casino with a new, brick and mortar casino has stalled for lack of outside funding after the tribe spent more than $12 million on roads and foundation work. A few miles to the south, the Pinoleville Band of Pomo Indians is searching for a backer for what would be its first casino.

In Sonoma County, the Dry Creek Rancheria Band of Pomo has put on hold its plans for a mega hotel resort to accompany its River Rock Casino.

If a casino is built near Point Arena, some local officials wonder whether there would be enough business to support it.

“Personally I’m wondering. I think people do flock to casinos. On the other hand, it’s a really low population area,” said Point Arena Mayor Lauren Sinnott.

Point Arena’s population is just under 500. Including the surrounding rural areas, there may be up to 5,000 people, she said.

“We struggle just to get enough people to go to the movies,” Sinnott said.

The tribe’s spokesman and chairman, Nelson Pinola, could not be reached to discuss the specifics of the project and the business and marketing strategy.

Sinnott said the city has some concerns about the impacts a casino could have on roads and worries about people consuming alcohol, then driving.

But she believes potential problems could be worked out with the tribe and the casino could be a boon to Point Arena businesses.

She also likes the barn-like design of the proposed project.

“It’s attractive and very much in keeping with our rural community,” Sinnott said.

The tribe of just over 200 members has been planning to build a casino for at least a decade. It signed a gaming compact with then Governor Wilson in 1999. The tribe will need to renegotiate the compact some time before Dec. 31, 2020, when it expires.

“It’s been a work in progress,” Oropeza said.