Muskegon Casino News
After years of speculation and red tape, a proposed casino in Muskegon County is now an almost certainty after officials reached a key milestone in the process.
The agreements for the Muskegon project are more advantageous to the state than other current gaming compacts, the release stated. They are based on a sliding scale of 8 to 12 percent and are not contingent on the state committing to preserving gaming exclusivity for the Muskegon casino. — Federal action expected tomorrow will move the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians one step closer to being able to develop a $180 million casino on land it owns in Muskegon Country. Michigan: Muskegon casino project gets bipartisan support from county commissioners The tribe plans to convert 60 acres of land at a former racetrack into a 220-room hotel and off-reservation casino with 1,700 slot machines and 35 table games in approximately 69,000 square feet of gaming floor space. MUSKEGON COUNTY — The Little River Band of Ottawa Indians announced they are one step closer to making the Muskegon County Casino Project a reality. The Saginaws, located 100 miles from Muskegon, own the Saganing Eagles Landing and Soaring Eagle Casino and have opposed new casinos in the state since they opened their first gambling operation more than 20 years ago, said attorney Thomas J. Dennis, head of a Manistee law firm that deals with Indian legal matters.
Talks of a casino in Fruitport Township have been going on for a decade, but the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians has had to overcome a number of hurdles in the process, including pushback from other Michigan tribes like Gun Lake.
Those tribes argued that its unfair for the Little River Band to own and operate, (Little River already owns and operates a casino up north in Manistee) and it’s a breach of an agreement that everyone signed years ago: that every tribe would only get one casino each.
Muskegon Casino News Today
However, that agreement was not a legally binding one, so Little River Band officials forged ahead with plans for the casino to be built where the old Great Lakes Downs track once stood. The $180 million project reached a pivotal milestone this month, when the Bureau of Indian Affairs pushed through a Final Environmental Impact Statement for federal approval, which is expected to pass in the next two months.
With Muskegon County having one of the highest unemployment rates in the state of Michigan, most officials are extremely excited about the project as it would create thousands of jobs along the lakeshore, while boosting the economy along Harvey Street in Fruitport, near the failing Lakes Mall.
“In a nutshell it’s all about jobs and economic development and this project will bring all of that,” State House Representative Terry Sabo said. “So when you are talking about a county that has the highest unemployment rate in the state, that is a big deal.”
Officials say the casino and 220 room hotel would double property values in the area, and hope to have it finished within three years.
View the discussion thread.
The number of tribal casinos in Michigan is closer to being an even two dozen. A federal agency completed an important procedure vital to a Muskegon County casino project by the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians.
The Federal Bureau of Indian Affairs published its Final Environmental Impact Statement on the subject of a tribal casino between the cities of Muskegon and Grand Haven.
There are still a few legal steps before construction can begin, however.
Muskegon County casino plans clear big hurdle
Essentially, this is a big domino that needed to fall the right way for all the other pieces to move for the hopeful proprietors of the casino, the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians. It’s an assessment of the available options for the economic development of the area in the eyes of the federal government.
That assessment was favorable to using the land for a casino. That news sat well with Larry Romanelli, the ogema or elected leader of the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians.
“This is an incredible step forward in our process to build the Muskegon County Casino Project,” Romanelli stated.
“This was the big one and this basically to me tells me we’re going to have a casino here in Muskegon.”
It’s not a done deal just yet, despite Romanelli’s optimism. There is now a public comment period on the FEIS. The comment period runs for a period of 30 days. Anyone can hand-deliver or mail written comments to:
Ms. Tammie Poitra, Midwest Regional Director
Muskegon Casino News Las Vegas
Bureau of Indian Affairs, Midwest Region
Norman Pointe II Building
5600 West American Boulevard, Suite 500
Bloomington, MN 55347
At the conclusion of that period, the bureau and the US Department of the Interior will make final decisions on the tribe’s plans.
What happens next?
If those decisions go favorably for the tribe, the Interior will take the tract of 60 acres into trust for the tribe. That will add to the adjacent 26.5 acres the tribe already owns. Currently, an obsolete racetrack occupies the land.
Muskegon Casino News
The next step would be to negotiate a gaming compact with the state. Both the legislature and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer must concur with the terms of the compact.
At that point, construction and development could begin. The proposals given a favorable presentation in the FEIS do give many clues to what the facility will offer.
What does the tribe have planned for the new casino?
The plans include everything you would expect out of a tribal casino sprawling out over nearly 87 acres. The proposed features include:
- 69,000 square feet of gaming floor space
- 1,700 slot machines
- 35 table games
- 220-room hotel
- Dining and entertainment space
- Event and meeting rooms
Sports betting will also be among the available amenities at some point. The Little River Band of Ottawa Indians already offers sports betting at the Little River Casino Resort in Manistee. The River Rock Sportsbook & Grill opened in July and is powered by Kambi.
BetRivers partnered with the tribe to offer online gambling in Michigan, too.
The tribe promises to bring more than 3,000 jobs into the area, half of which will be permanent. The site is just off Interstate 96 to the east, South Harvey Street to the west, and East Ellis Road to the south.
There’s no timeline for when the casino might see its final approval or when it will break ground in Muskegon County. But right now, things are looking great for the tribe. If the rest of the process goes as well, MI residents near Fruitport Township will have a new option for gambling.