The Ho-Chunk Nation announced it will invest 4 million to expand gaming operations at four of its six casinos. The tribal legislature authorized the investment in March. Ho-Chunk Nation President Jon Greendeer said, “It’s been a long time coming. It’s going to benefit the tribal members, the tribal employees and the outside communities. This is a win-win-win.”
The tribe will build a $11.2 million hotel and a $4.5 million events center at the Ho-Chunk Gaming Nekoosa casino in Port Edwards. Plans for the Wittenberg casino include a $14.4 million hotel, $5.8 million conference center and $6.7 million casino floor expansion. Both locations also will receive new parking structures and additional restaurants. The tribe’s Black River Falls location will get a parking structure, new slot machine floor, hotel expansions, event complex and RV park. Wisconsin Dells will get a new entertainment complex.
Greendeer added the expansions are expected to make Ho-Chunk casinos more competitive with other Wisconsin gaming facilities that have added amenities such as hotels and restaurants. For example, the North Star Mohican Casino in Bowler completed a $100 million expansion with 66,000 square feet of casino space, a 150-room hotel, two restaurants and a convention hall in 2010.
Greendeer said he hopes to see “shovels in the earth” to start construction sometime this summer. “While I can with absolute confidence say this investment does have a very comfortable return on investment, more importantly, they open up and expand opportunities in our tribal communities.”
In addition to construction jobs, the projects will create 317 permanent jobs at the four locations, including 82 new jobs in Wittenberg and 75 in Nekoosa.
Wittenberg Village Board President Bill Switalla said, “We need new jobs, we need a lot in Wittenberg. We’re far enough away from all the jobs and people don’t want to travel with gas prices. We’ve got a lot of empty houses here. If it’ll bring the jobs, I’m all for it.”
Melissa Reichert, president of the Heart of Wisconsin Chamber of Commerce, added, “It certainly will help increase traffic through Nekoosa and, hopefully, will benefit businesses in Nekoosa. The events center will give our area more options for hosting large events.”
Also in Wisconsin, the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians voted 140-138 against continuing to fund the tribe’s application to have land taken into trust for a $132 million off-reservation casino in Shullsburg. Tribal spokesman Brandon Thoms said the vote did not mean the tribe was pulling its application, but tribal leaders are seeking alternative sources for funding the application process.
Thoms said, “I think anything is possible. But I believe the Tribal Council has a duty to exhaust all their resources to make sure the membership understands how much the tribe has already invested in it and the potential positive impacts it could have for the tribe.”
The U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs rejected the tribe’s application in 2008 to take into trust 92 acres the tribe purchased in 2004 for a casino in Shullsburg. The tribe resubmitted its application in 2012 after the BIA loosened its requirements for off-reservation casinos. Shullsburg residents expressed their support for the casinos last year at an open meeting with tribal leaders. The casino requires state and federal approval.
The Shullsburg project would have a casino, 300-room hotel, events center and campground, and would create 800 construction and 600 permanent jobs.
