It was recently revealed that State Rep. Terry Sabo is backing a casino development project by the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians. The proposed site for the development is in Fruitport Township, which is situated in Muskegon. The development is said to be costing $180 million and it will be located at a former racetrack.
After Sabo gave his backing to the development two weeks ago, a 30-day consultation period commenced. During these 30 days, members of the public are allowed to comment on the proposed development. Once the period is over, the project and proposal will be assessed by federal government officials and then go to the state Governor, Gretchen Whitmer.
Final environmental impact statement filed
The Bureau of Indian Affairs also filed a Final Environmental Impact Statement, and this was submitted to the federal registry. This has now opened up the opportunity for the tribe to acquire the 60 acres of land it needs for the development. The development will include a casino and a hotel, and the news that the project was moving forward was welcomed by Sabo.
According to reports, a number of alternative options were reviewed by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, but the full casino development project was the one that was selected as the preferred option.
Expressing his delight about the progress, Sabo said, “I’m very pleased to see the tribe was able to make progress at the federal level and take this significant step forward in the approval process.
Sabo said he would do whatever he had to in order to bring the project to fruition, adding that it would result in thousands of jobs being created within the community.
He also spoke about the effect of the project on the economy and said that this could not be overestimated. Sabo described it as ‘just another example of the revitalization of the greater Muskegon area.’
In addition, while some people enjoy using online casinos such as Betsafe Canada, many others love to go to brick-and-mortar casinos. The development will provide people in the area with an exciting entertainment venue to enjoy casino gaming.
Move described as a game-changer
While Sabo is clearly delighted that the project is moving forward, he is not the only one to be thrilled about the news. The mayor of Norton Shores, Gary Nelund, also expressed his delight at the news, and he took to social media to describe the move as being a ‘game-changer’. He said that the news was huge for the township.
Of course, the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians are also excited about the news, and the leader of the tribe, Larry Romanelli, made a recent statement. He said that the move was a huge step in the right direction in terms of the development of the casino and hotel. It is reported that the development has been ten years in the making and that this latest move is a significant step forward.
Approval could be given within two months
Now that the consultation period for comments from the public is well underway, the process could move forward quite swiftly. Some believe that approval could be given for the development within a couple of months.
While the project has been under debate for ten years, it has moved along far more quickly over the past couple of years. A draft environmental impact study was filed two years ago after which a public hearing took place. There was also a 30-day public consultation period held last year.
If all goes to plan, the new development could bring in huge numbers of jobs in the area over the coming years. This is not just in terms of staffing when the casino and hotel are built but also in terms of the construction and related work required to build them. This could total around 3,000 jobs according to some estimates.
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