A renewed proposal to develop a casino in Kenosha, Wisconsin is reportedly in the works with local officials, the Menominee Tribe and Hard Rock International. The proposal would develop a 60-acre plot of land in the city. However, details of the proposal and the evaluation process have not been made public.
The effort to develop a casino in Kenosha has been years in the making. Previously, a proposal worth $800 million was rejected by then-Gov. Scott Walker in 2015, Reuters reported. Walker cited a potential cost of $100 million on taxpayers as the reason for his action. The 2015 proposal was also backed by the Menominee Tribe and Hard Rock.
In order for the project to move forward, the casino proposal needs to get the approval of city and county officials, the governor of Wisconsin and the Federal Bureau of Indian Affairs, according to WGTD. In July, Kenosha City Administrator John Morrissey said that an agreement on the casino development was “all but finalized,” but no details were provided.
Other casino developments around the United States that were short on details have turned into lengthy court fights, with results sometimes going against the will of local officials and citizens. The Ponca Tribe of Nebraska was able to open a casino in Iowa following a ruling by the Eight Circuit Court of Appeals. The Tribe had originally gotten approval to open a healthcare facility but changed direction to build a casino after the land was granted to the Tribe by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The city of Council Bluffs, along with Nebraska and Iowa sued to stop the development but lost at the Eight Circuit Court.
Similarly, in North Carolina, the National Indian Gaming Commission found Catawba Nation and Kings Mountain Sky Boat Partners in violation of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act and NIGC regulations. Despite not having an approved management contract, the Nation permitted Sky Boat to move forward with an expansion of their Catawba Two Kings Casino. The contract was not submitted within the 60-day window following its execution.
In July, Menominee chairman Ronald Corn expressed optimism about the approval process for the Kenosha casino, stating that he believed it would be “relatively short,” Milwaukee Business News reported.
