Leaders must reapply to build massive facility
Kenosha casino lawsuit settled, Menominee tribe pleased
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Cody Holyoke reports Video by tmj4.com
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KENOSHA - Plans for a Kenosha casino are moving forward a day after the federal government settled a lawsuit with the Menominee Indian Tribe.
The settlement means a multimillion dollar casino and thousand of jobs are one step closer to being created at the site of the old Dairyland Greyhound Park.
Last year, 180 workers lost their jobs as a result of the facility's shutdown.
"Whenever I see [former employees], they say, 'What do you hear? When can we come back?' Everyone wants to come back," explained Jerry Natzke, a security guard who kept his job guarding the grounds.
The settlement may give them a chance to return. Old restrictions would not let the Menominee tribe build a casino so far away from tribal land, about 200 miles north of Kenosha.
The Obama administration revoked the restrictions earlier this year.
"I’m very excited. Our tribe is very, very pleased with the recent developments," said Randal Chevalier, the tribal chairman.
The tribe now has 45 days to review its application and submit it to the government.
While the plan could grow business in Kenosha, the Potawatomi tribe doesn’t want it’s Milwaukee casino to lose business.
Tribal spokesman Ken Walsh tells TODAY'S TMJ4, "The application is tainted by corruption and scandal,” citing the corruption conviction of a Kenosha County executive surrounding the project.
"Past efforts have had issues, but we put forward a very good application to the Bureau of Indian Affairs," Chevalier responded.
The Menominee Indian Tribe still has a lot to get through before shovels hit the ground in Kenosha. The Department of the Interior will officially decide if the project is in the best interest of the community.
Governor Scott Walker would have to agree with that decision before the project could move forward.
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