The Muckleshoot Tribe recently added another piece to the 70-acre off-reservation portion of the Miles Sand & Gravel Co. property in southeast Auburn that it bought last October.

According to King County records, the latest acquisition was finalized Dec. 16, 2009, although the county recorded the $2.6 million sale April 12.

Located at 1220 M St. SE, the .8-acre (34,551-square-foot) parcel is presently the site of a nine-year-old office building.

Tribal Spokesman Rollin Fatland said that the Tribe has leased the land back to Miles Sand & Gravel for the immediate future.

“There are no changes to the land use planned at this time,” Fatland said.

Public records show that the tribe paid $33.7 million for the areas of Miles Sand and Gravel it bought last October, an acquisition that included White Lake.

As a matter of courtesy, Fatland added, the tribe notified Auburn Mayor Pete Lewis of the purchases.

Lewis said the tribe’s recent acquisitions are not really a surprise to him.

“When I was on the Chamber of Commerce board long before I came to office,” Lewis said, “the tribe had talked about doing this, so it’s a bit anti-climactic for me because I always knew they were going to buy out the Miles site. I’d even seen some plans for some kind of theme park and hotel in that area, as well as redevelopment of White Lake, so I always looked at it as a positive.

“Even if it goes back to trust land, it is economic development on the part of the tribe, and good for them.”

The acquisition comes five years after the tribe acquired the 94-acre on-reservation portion of the Miles property.