Tagged: sault ste marie tribe of chippewa indians

Voting wraps up this week in a referendum that may decide if plans for a casino in downtown Lansing can move forward.

Ballots were mailed to 14 thousand members of the Sault Ste Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians earlier this month.

The basic question is should the tribe move ahead with plans to build a $245 million casino adjacent to Lansing’s downtown convention center.

Some members of the tribe demanded the vote, out of concerns about how revenues from the Lansing casino would be handled.     The campaign challenging the casino plan is being led by a man currently running to be elected the tribe’s next chairman.

Ballots are being mailed this week to more than 14 thousand members of the Sault Ste Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians.   The vote may decide if the tribe will go ahead with plans to build a casino in downtown Lansing.

The proposed casino is controversial, not just among those who generally oppose any effort to expand gambling in Michigan, but also among some Sault Ste Marie tribe members.

The tribe already operates five casinos in the Upper Peninsula.  But some tribe members don’t like the way revenue from a Lansing casino would be divided.

A controversial plan to build a casino in downtown Lansing cleared an important hurdle last night. 

The Lansing city council gave its approval for the Sault Ste Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians’ plan to build a casino next to the city’s convention center. 

Council members who voted for the casino cited the jobs it will create  and a college scholarship program for Lansing children it will fund.

Bill Martines is the head of Lansing Future LLC,  the development group spearheading the casino project. He laughed when asked if this was the "easy part" of getting the casino built.

"No this wasn’t the easy part…not by any stretch…I don’t anticipate any of the parts to be easy," says Martines

The Lansing city council has several items dealing with the casino project on its agenda tonight.

All the items must pass for the $245 million project to move forward.

City council president Brian Jeffries last week questioned if the city is giving up too much in the deal with the Sault Ste Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians and a group of local investors.

The proposal has drawn opposition from critics of casino gambling., other tribes that operate casinos, as well as the governor and state attorney general. 

But the proposal is supported by many Lansing business interests.  They say a casino will bring jobs and increased tourism. 

Lansing business and union leaders came out to a public hearing last night to support a proposed casino project in the city’s downtown.

The Sault Ste Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians wants to build a $245 million dollar casino next to the city's downtown convention center.   

Two previous community forums drew a parade of casino critics who warned gambling will increase crime and cause other problems in the capitol city.   Last night, it was the supporters' turn to make their case. 

Lansing teacher Kristen Small says her students need the college scholarship fund that the proposed casino would contribute to.