The Redding Rancheria paid $4 million for the Lowry Ranch property near its Win-River Casino, but has no immediate plans to develop the 64-acre parcel, CEO Tracy Edwards said.

"We are keeping our options open," Edwards said this week.

The Rancheria bought the property just north of Clear Creek, which borders the casino off Highway 273, from the McConnell Foundation. The Redding nonprofit philanthropic organization had owned the property since 1996.

"Obviously, the land is unique to us - it happens to be right next to the Rancheria, with the creek, so it's a piece of property we have been interested in for a long time," Edwards said. "We are just pleased to be able to acquire the land."

It's been rumored that Edwards' tribe bought the Lowry Ranch property to build a health complex.

"That is definitely something on our radar ... . One option would be to build a health village," Edwards acknowledged.

Like the McConnell Foundation, the Rancheria will pay taxes on the property - albeit based on a higher assessed value after the $4 million purchase price.

McConnell paid taxes based on a 1996 assessed value of $659,010, according to county tax records. The nonprofit organization paid $7,232 this past tax year.

Meanwhile, negotiations between the Rancheria and the city of Redding continue on 82 acres of land off Interstate 5 in the Churn Creek bottom, property known as the Stratte property.

The Rancheria also owns the 150 acres to the north of the Stratte property, land the tribe bought in January 2004 for $1.7 million. The land is adjacent to the tribe's 96-room Hilton Garden Inn, west of I-5 and south of the South Bonnyview Road exit.

Buying the Stratte land would complement the 150 acres the tribe already owns, Edwards said.

Answering speculation that the Redding Rancheria covets the freeway frontage land to build a casino, Edwards said they don't have specific plans at this time.

To build a casino off I-5, the Redding Rancheria would need to put the land into a trust with the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

Once the land goes into a trust for the purpose of gaming, it would come off the tax rolls.

But a tribe merely buying land is not sufficient to take the property off the county tax rolls.

The Redding Rancheria also pays taxes on its Hilton Garden Inn property, which is owned by the Win-River Hotel Corp. and has an assessed value of $10.4 million. The tribe paid $115,212 in property taxes this past year on the hotel property.

Reporter David Benda can be reached at 225-8219 or at dbenda@redding.com.