FRUITPORT TWP. — 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. The $180 million Muskegon County Casino by the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians is expected to drive $15 million in tax revenue for West Michigan The project is enjoying overwhelming bipartisan support with the Bureau of Indian Affairs yet to issue a FEIS. In Michigan, the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians is inching closer to securing final authorization for their proposed tribal casino in Muskegon County after on Thursday receiving land trust approval from the federal government. The proposed development is located approximately 90 miles south of the tribe’s established casino in Manistee. Casino plan nears final federal approval A project to build a tribal casino in Muskegon has been in the works for about a decade. Now, the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians has made. 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.
On Friday, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, a federal agency that operates within the U.S. Department of Interior, will announce plans to file a Final Environmental Impact Statement on the tribe’s request for the federal government to take into trust 60 acres of land at the former Great Lakes Downs horse track. The BIA’s announcement in the Federal Register then kicks off a 30-day public comment period, after which the government will issue a final decision in the application.
If the federal government approves and takes the land into trust for the tribe, the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians would then need to seek state approval for its casino plans.
For Larry Romanelli, the ogema or elected leader of the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians, the step marks a significant milestone in a process that’s drawn on for more than a decade.
“This was 80 percent of what had to be done — it’s huge in my opinion,” Romanelli told MiBiz. “When we started, we hoped for a process that was five to six years, and now we’re past 10. But now we’re at a point where we have more control over that as well.”
Romanelli envisions the remaining process to get a casino up and running will take three years at the longest, assuming the approval process moves ahead in the tribe’s favor. Under certain best-case circumstances, the tribe could also shorten that time frame, Romanelli said, declining to speculate on particulars of that scenario.
For the Environmental Impact Statement, the BIA considered the potential effects on the environment for the proposed casino development, ranging from land use, geology and water resources to agricultural, biological and cultural considerations.
The tribe purchased the horse track in 2008 to develop a second casino in addition to its resort complex north of Manistee. The proposed 69,000-square-foot Fruitport Township facility would include 1,700 slot machines, 35 table games, a 220-room hotel, and event and conference space, as well as dining and entertainment areas.
The Muskegon area is a part of the tribe’s ancestral lands and currently home to the largest population of tribal citizens in its service area, according to Tribal Council Speaker Ron Pete.
“A casino in Muskegon County will enable the Tribe to provide jobs, housing, health care, education and other services to our elders and youth,” Pete said in a statement. “It will also provide a very positive economic impact for the Muskegon community.”
The tribe expects the casino would create 1,000 to 1,500 jobs, as well as lead to ancillary job creation across the region. The tribe plans to fund the development internally.
Although American Indian tribes do not pay local or state taxes on trust lands, it expects the project could spur $15 million in state tax revenue, in addition to millions in local taxes.
“It’s not only about jobs and economic development, Muskegon has needed this for a while,” Romanelli said, citing a 90-percent local approval rate for the project since it was proposed. “It’s one of the biggest projects to hit Muskegon County in quite a while. It’s good news the region needs right now, and it’s a good shot in the arm that Muskegon County needs.”
In some ways, Romanelli said the timing of the process could prove beneficial for the casino project, which can now incorporate best practices around air filtration and spacing that have been learned during the pandemic.
He added that he’s been buoyed by the community’s support for the tribe and the casino project over the long process.
“We’ve been ready for a long time,” Romanelli said. “We’re absolutely ready for this now, and West Michigan is ready for this as well. It’s a long time coming, and we’re still not done yet.”
Bryce Derouin@B_DEROUINOctober 28th, 2020 - 12:50pm@B_DEROUINThe Little River Band of Ottawa Indians took another step in the hopes of bringing a tribal casino to western Michigan.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) will announce plans to publish a Notice Availability of a Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) on Friday, detailing the tribe’s request for the federal government to take into trust 60 acres of land at the old Great Lakes Downs horse track in Muskegon.
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Muskegon is located on the shores of Lake Michigan, about 40 miles northwest of Grand Rapids.
In the FEIS, the BIA took into account the Little River Band’s proposed casino project and other economic alternatives. In the end, the BIA found the casino to be the preferred option of the federal government.
'This is an incredible step forward in our process to build the Muskegon County Casino Project,” Larry Romanelli, Ogema of the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians, said, according to Grand Rapids ABC-TV affiliate WZZM.
What’s Next In The Process?
A public comment period will take place. The comment period will run for 30 days and permits anyone to send hand-deliver or mail-written comments.
Once the comment period is completed, the federal government will issue its final decision on the application. Then, the tribe will be tasked with negotiating a gaming agreement with Michigan, including Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and the legislature.
RELATED: Current Overview of Michigan Casino Gaming
In 2019, Michigan’s 12 federally recognized tribes contributed $30.5 million in casino gaming revenue to local government and schools, according to a report published by the Michigan Gaming Control Board.
The casino is expected to bring in 3,000 new jobs into Muskegon, with 1,500 full-time positions and 1,500 construction and ancillary jobs. The proposed gaming and economic development includes:
Muskegon Casino News
- Approximately 69,000 square feet of gaming floor space
- 1,700 slot machines
- 35 table games
- 220-room hotel
- Event and meeting room space
- Dining and entertainment options
Little River Band of Ottawa Indians
The new casino in Muskegon would be the second for the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians. The tribe already has a facility in Manistee, the Little River Casino Resort.
In July, Little River Casino introduced its sportsbook through a partnership with Rush Street Interactive. Rush Street will also have access to the online market in Michigan and plans to launch a co-branded online sports betting and online casino statewide as soon as Michigan online gaming is launched.
'The successful track record of Rush Street Interactive as a provider of in-casino sportsbooks in Pennsylvania, New York and Illinois, was very significant to us when we chose them as our partner,' Andrew Gentile, general manager of Little River Casino Resort, said in a media release in July. 'Rush Street's ability to provide a road map of how they've enabled other land-based casinos to operate market-leading sportsbooks kept us from having to reinvent the wheel.'
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Link copied!WRITTEN BY@B_DEROUINBryce joined TopUSCasinos.com after spending the last nine years covering high school and college sports throughout Michigan. He’s served as the primary Division II beat writer for Grand Valley State and Michigan Tech. Along with his newspaper background, he's worked in marketing and recently co-founded Upbeat — the Upper Peninsula of Michigan’s first subscription-based prep sports website. His favorite sports to gamble on are football, basketball, baseball and Formula 1.... Read MoreMuskegon Casino News Today
Bryce joined TopUSCasinos.com after spending the last nine years covering high school and college sports throughout Michigan. He’s served as the primary Division II beat writer for Grand Valley State and Michigan Tech. Along with his newspaper background, he's worked in marketing and recently co-founded Upbeat — the Upper Peninsula of Michigan’s first subscription-based prep sports website. His favorite sports to gamble on are football, basketball, baseball and Formula 1.... Read MoreARTICLES YOU MAY LIKE
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