On May 2, two years after breaking ground on a $300 million expansion at the Gun Lake Casino, Gun Lake Tribal Council leaders gathered for a topping-out ceremony, which celebrates the placement of the final construction beam. Prior to the ceremony, tribal members and employees signed the beam.
Gun Lake Casino CEO Sal Semola said the event marked the “turning of the next page” in the project.
According to MSN, the expansion will add a 252-room hotel, expected to open next spring, as well as the Wawyé Oasis, a 32,000-square-foot glass atrium with three pools, a swim-up bar and nightclub that can host special events like concerts and banquets. The expansion will also add a full-service spa, meeting space and more food-and-beverage options.
“We’re at a point now where things start moving rather quickly,” Semola said.
According to a news release, Bob Peters, chairman of the Gun Lake Tribal Council, said the ceremony also marked a milestone of the Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Pottawatomi’s “journey for self-determination.”
“There’s challenges along the way, but for our tribal community, days like this is what makes it all worth it,” he said. “We come together, we celebrate our accomplishments, and this is just one more thing that we’re going to be celebrating next year. So this topping off ceremony for our community, our staff means a lot to us.”
He noted that the tribe has other projects in the works, and “the sky’s the limit.”
“I’m beyond excited,” he said. “To see this all come to fruition, it’s beyond a dream. Sometimes I have to pinch myself.”
