If the
Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians is able to get all sides to agree, there could be a new casino in downtown Lansing eventually.
The tribe is proposing a 125,000-square-foot casino in the state's capital which will cost approximately $245 million to build.
"This exciting project is a game-changer for downtown Lansing and will provide another major boost to our efforts to revitalize Michigan’s capital city," Bernero says "It will create thousands of good jobs, attract tens of thousands of tourists to the region, and generate enough revenue to allow our city to send all of our school district graduates to college."
The proposed casino is tentatively being called the Lansing Kewadin and initial designs have it featuring as many as 3,000 slot machines and 48 table games. The casino, which would be located near the Cedar Street and Michigan Avenue intersection, would be owned and operated by the Sault Ste. Marie tribe. It is estimated the casino would create 1,500 permanent jobs as well as more than 700 construction jobs. Annual revenue predictions are approximately $250 million.
"Kewadin Lansing Casino will generate significant economic benefits for Sault Tribe members in addition to creating thousands of good jobs," says Sault Tribe chairman Joe Eitrem. "We are deeply grateful for the opportunity to join with the city and people of Lansing as we seek to exercise our sovereign government’s legal right to develop Kewadin Lansing Casino."
According to the Sault tribe, the project will be built on City of Lansing-owned land to be purchased by and transferred to the tribe, following approval from the U.S. Department of the Interior.
Bernero says the casino would generate about $6 million a year in revenue-sharing payments to the city, enough to create the Lansing Promise program. The program would be designed to guarantee four-year college scholarships for every graduate of the Lansing School District who resides in the district.
The Lansing City Council would need to approve the plan, as well at the Sault tribe’s Board of Directors.
Writer: Sam Eggleston
Source: Joe Eitrem, Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians
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