The Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians, owners of Four Winds Casino Resorts in Michigan, and the City of South Bend, Indiana have reached two intergovernmental agreements that will allow the tribe to build a new multi-million dollar Four Winds Casino and a residential village on a 166-acre site in South Bend.
Under the first agreement, the tribe has agreed to pay $400,000 to help finance an upgrade in sewer and water services. In the second agreement, the tribe has agreed to make annual payments equal to 2 percent gaming earnings; half will be paid to the city’s general fund, and the other half will be paid to a redevelopment commission. The South Bend Common Council now will consider the agreements.
The federal Bureau of Indian Affairs currently is reviewing the Draft Environmental Impact Statement of the Pokagon Band’s Trust Land Application, which must be approved before any construction can begin.
Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians Chairman John P. Warren said the agreements “demonstrate the Pokagon Band’s good faith effort to replace lost tax revenue as a result of its property becoming federal trust land, and address the City of South Bend’s concerns regarding impacts on its services and jurisdiction. “The Pokagon Band has been in this region for hundreds of years and the Tribal Village in South Bend will help preserve our legacy for future generations. The Pokagon Band offered to work with the city on these agreements in the spirit of mutual cooperation and to further demonstrate its long-term commitment to investing in the City of South Bend and its residents.”
South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg commented, “These are historic agreements for the City of South Bend with the region’s original inhabitants that will infuse millions of dollars into the economy and create hundreds of new jobs. It is extraordinary to reach an agreement that will not only support the economy, but also provide much needed funding for community projects, local organizations and our schools.”
The Pokagon Band is owns the Four Winds Casinos in New Buffalo, Hartford and Dowagiac.
