The Ho-Chunk Nation, based in Black River Falls, Wisconsin, will meet with federal officials in Beloit the week of December 13 for a status report on the tribe’s proposed casino resort. The Ho-Chunk Nation has been waiting for the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Indian Affairs to take a parcel of the 75-acre project site into trust, ever since Governor Tony Evers approved the tribe’s casino plans on March 24. That’s the final step before site preparation and construction can begin.
Ho-Chunk Public Relations Officer Ryan Greendeer said the tribe hopes to break ground on the project in spring 2022, pending final approval by the BIA. “We’re excited for the project and we look forward to getting a sense of where the review is at with the BIA. We are hoping to come out of the meeting with a concrete timeframe for that approval,” Greendeer said.
He explained the review period is especially long because of the off-reservation nature of the casino, fee-to-trust land applications and the scope of the Ho-Chunk Nation’s project.
Greendeer stated, “We are coming up on final designs. From there, we can start talking about realizing cost estimates. It’s taking another step in the process while we are waiting for the application to be approved.” The tribe and the city of Beloit also need to finalize a development agreement.
The first phase of the project would include a casino with 50 table games and 2,200 slot machines, a 300-room hotel and five restaurants, Greendeer said. He noted gaming revenue would help fund future phases of the project.
