Members of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe Indians in Minnesota are voting this week on whether to replace their existing Palace Casino and Hotel with new facilities, which are more than 30 years old. Voting will be completed by May 16. If the vote is successful, construction could begin as early as 2018.
The tribal members are voting by secret mail ballot on whether to spend up to $50 million to build the new casino and hotel at a new location “directly fronting U.S. Highway 2 in Cass Lake,” according to the referendum. The location was chosen based on a feasibility study.
Eligible voters both on and off the reservation are being accommodated by the voting process.
The Leech Lake Tribal Council called for the vote in March. They said the existing casino has seen increased maintenance issues in the last few years.
Tribal Chairman Faron Jackson Sr. recently stated “The Palace itself wasn’t an original gaming building when it was established, either. It was made into one in the early ’80s and was remodeled, but it wasn’t built as a casino.” The existing building would be converted for other uses.
He added, “We have some competitive loan companies that we’ve been in discussion with, but there hasn’t been one nailed down exclusively yet. We’re waiting for the outcome on the referendum. Everything is contingent on that.”
While replacing the aging casino, the authorization would also increase the size of the casino and add a water park. Jacked said, “We want a cleaner building that’s more updated. One that can attract more customers to come visit our gaming establishment or shows.”
The tribe held a similar vote in 2000 when it decided to build its second casino, the Northern Lights Casino, in Walker. The tribe also operates the White Oak Casino in Deer River.
If the tribe supports the new construction, it would begin in about a year and take nine months to finish. The new casino would employ as many as 500 workers.
