Cherokee County, Kansas and the developers of the proposed Castle Rock Casino recently filed a formal appeal with the Kansas Court of Appeals regarding Shawnee County District Court Judge Larry D. Hendricks’ June 6 rulings in favor of Kansas Crossing Casino, now under construction in Cherokee County. Cherokee County and Castle Rock had sued the Kansas Racing and Gaming Commission over its selection of Kansas Crossing to receive the fourth and final license for a state-run casino. The plaintiffs claim the commission did not follow proper procedures in awarding the license and that Hendricks acted improperly in denying discovery and judicial review. Briefs are due to the appeals court by July 25 but a hearing date has not yet been set.
Cherokee County Counsel Barbara Wright said, “Obviously the plaintiffs feel the judgment of the trial court was in error.” Castle Rock presented the largest of the three proposals and Kansas Crossing’s was the smallest. However, commissioners were concerned that Castle Rock might not be able to meet its debt obligations and revenue projections.
Kansas Crossing lead investor Bruce Christenson commented, “We’re excited to move forward and continue giving job opportunities to hundreds of local Kansans. The project has already come a long way since the groundbreaking and it’s only a matter of time before we start giving back to the community and partnering with local vendors.”
