Various issues—at a cost of million–have caused Ojibwa Tribe officials to push back completion of construction at their casinos in Baraga and Marquette, Michigan. Construction on both will resume in mid-November. The Ojibwa Casino in Baraga, which broke ground in December 2016, now will be competed in spring 2018. The Marquette Casino Convention Center, which includes an entertainment arena and a new hotel, now will open in late summer 2019. officials said.
Problems with the septic system in Marquette increased construction costs by $2 million, said Ojibwa Casino General Manager Don Wren. “There’s a whole process that goes into that, not only just paying for that but also the design work. It’s things like that, that pushed us back.” In addition, costs for Marquette’s electrical system rose $375,000 to $600,000.
However, Marketing Manager Jim Orr said although construction has been delayed, rebranding activities are on schedule. “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 within our marketing plan,” Orr said.
Wren noted, “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. This is a whole different animal here, and a whole great big change to this area, not only to this casino, but to the community as well, so this will take longer.”
