The Keweenaw Bay Indian Community in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula recently announced renovations and expansions at its Ojibwa Casinos in Marquette County and Baraga have been pushed back to 2019.
The tribe approved the projects in August 2016 for a total of $40 million, with $33.5 million for Chocolay Township and $6.5 million for Baraga. The tribe held groundbreaking ceremonies in December 2016. But construction costs for the septic system in Marquette County have increased by $2 million and the electricity quota has grown from $375,000 to $600,000.
The cost increases at Marquette have required the KBIC to alter infrastructure plans at Baraga. Ojibwa Casino General Manager Don Wren said, “There’s a whole process that goes into that, not only just paying for that but also the design work. It’s still going to be really great, a great place to come. It’s just not quite as grand as we would have hoped for because of the Marquette property.”
KBIC officials now expect renovations at the Baraga Casino to be completed this spring, but the new 76-room hotel, Marquette Casino Convention Center and entertainment arena will be completed in late summer 2019. The original completion dates were September 2018 for Marquette and March 2019 for Baraga.
Marketing Manager Jim Orr said the marketing committee remains on schedule for rebranding both casinos. “We are close to having our brand logo ready to roll and from there we will have new advertising on TV, radio and print. We also will have new outdoor billboards and direct mail, online and social media all with our marketing plan.”
