The owners of the former Dairyland Greyhound Park in Kenosha, Wisconsin announced they will seek a new buyer for the property, since the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin’s option to purchase it has expired. Mike Hallman, treasurer of Dairyland Greyhound Park Inc., said since 2010 the owners have paid more than .8 million in property taxes, waiting for the go-ahead for the Menominee Tribe and Hard Rock International could build an 0 million casino and entertainment complex there.
However, in January Governor Scott Walker rejected the proposed casino, claiming Wisconsin taxpayers could be held responsible for hundreds of millions of dollars in payments to the Potawatomi Tribe under its gaming compact—despite Menominee assurances it would cover any payments. “The damage has been done. We have to move on from there. There’s no question we can sell it. We don’t know for how much and to whom,” Hallman said.
He noted the most recent assessment on the 220-acre property was $18.8 million. It has ranged from $21 million to 2010 to $10 million in 2013, according to Kenosha county records. The property is located in the Interstate 94 corridor where the market for industrial property has been strong, Hallman said. The property has not yet been listed with a broker.
The dog racetrack opened in 1990, generating about $210.6 million in bets in its first year. That dropped to $46 million in 2008, as new tribal casinos opened. Dairyland was the last of five dog tracks to close in Wisconsin.
