OXFORD — Oxford Casino officials say they are about to sign a general contractor to construct a $25 million addition, including a 106-room hotel and restaurant.

“We’ve been working through design and construction documentation and are finalizing our plans,” Jane McClay Hoyt, advertising and public relations coordinator for the casino, said. “We’re very close to signing a general contractor and we look forward to making that announcement soon.

“Everything is still on track for the hotel, restaurant space, expanded kitchen space, meeting space and expanded gaming floor to open late summer or early fall of 2017,” she said.

The 33,634-square-foot expansion will be constructed on the south side of the Route 26 casino. The expanded facilities are expected to lead to 60 full-time jobs and an estimated 1,000 temporary construction jobs, Hoyt said.

Officials recently received Department of Environmental Protection approval for expansion with conditions. The application is considered an amendment to the original 2011 DEP approval for the casino, Hoyt said.

Among the conditions is submission of a copy of its approved air emissions license from the Department’s Bureau of Air Quality to the Bureau of Land Resources.

In the DEP’s approval, the agency noted the following facts:

* Taken together with previous development, the cumulative amount of impervious area will be 12.9 acres and the cumulative amount of developed area will be 27.6 acres.

* The applicant demonstrated adequate financing for the $17.5 million hotel.

* The proposed development will not have an “unreasonable adverse effect” on the scenic character of the surrounding area.

* Hogan Pond is considered the water body most at risk from the new development, but the applicant proposed to redirect storm runoff from the expansion into the watershed of the Little Androscoggin River using an existing storm water management pond.

* The applicant has made adequate provisions to ensure the project meets the phosphorous standards and flooding standards.

* The project is not on any mapped sand and gravel aquifer and will not have any withdrawal from or discharge to the groundwater. It will not have any adverse effect on the groundwater quality.

The hotel will be built across from the Hampton Inn, which is set to open Saturday, Oct. 1, but casino officials have said there is enough business for both hotels.

ldixon@sunmediagroup.net