A groundbreaking ceremony recently was held for the million renovation and expansion of the Ojibwa Casinos in Michigan, owned by the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community. The Ojibwa tribe will spend .5 on renovations at their Baraga casino, and allocate .5 million at the Marquette facility, doubling the gaming floor and adding a 1,200-seat entertainment venue, hotel rooms and dining options.
Baraga and Marquette Ojibwa Casinos General Manager Don Wren said, “It’s really a great opportunity for Marquette. We’ll be able to take this facility, and market to people that are away from here. People that are
looking at Marquette as a possible destination site, now have something to come to. It’s not just a casino anymore, it’ll be a multi-functioning facility.”
The Marquette casino will remain open during expansion construction, which will be completed in September 2018.
Wren added, “It’s a great opportunity for employment here, and if you look at it, when you apply for a position here at the Marquette property, you’re no longer just applying for a job. There’s great career opportunities here with a multi-functioning facility like we’re about to put in.”
Keweenaw Bay Indian Community President Warren Christian Swartz Jr. noted, “For the Indian community, much of the revenue from the casinos is used for governmental services. The community is used to a number of governmental services that we have. We’ve got the tribal police, we’ve got our own tribal court and we’ve got a health department, so this additional revenue is going to help us continue to provide those services to our community members.”
