A Wisconsin tribe has partnered with Hard Rock International to launch a casino in Kenosha, to bring much-needed revenue to its community.
The Menominee tribe is one of the Badger State’s largest and poorest tribes, regularly reporting high poverty rates while simultaneously ranking low for health outcomes. It said that the renewed development efforts would provide “necessary resources” to its beleaguered members.
The Kenosha casino project first came to fruition in 2015, with an $800m development planned. However, it never got off the ground, with Wisconsin’s former Governor Scott Walker scrapping the planned project.
Wisconsin’s current Governor Tony Evers is more amenable to the project, which has now been “trimmed back” to reflect “the increased number of gaming facilities in both Wisconsin and northern Illinois,” and the concerns that gambling establishments bring with them.
The tribe’s Chairman Ronald J. Corn commented: “Much has changed since our 2015 effort, but the needs of our tribe and its members have continued and in some cases grown more acute.
“We need to make greater investments into healthcare for our children and elders, we need to make more investments into educating our young people and we need to do more to reduce the high levels of poverty, hunger and unemployment on our reservation.”
Much has been done to scale down the initial 2015 plans. Initial development details conceived a casino and entertainment complex on the site of Kenosha’s old Dairyland dog track. The new development will be located less than a mile away, west of the interstate on a 60-acre parcel of land.
While the Menominee tribe will own the casino, Hard Rock will be handed the development and management of the Kenosha casino project.
Hard Rock COO Jon Lucas says, “Hard Rock has a long-standing partnership with the Menominee Tribe and is proud to support them in their continued efforts to bring a world-class gaming and entertainment resort to the Kenosha community.”
