A proposal to build a Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in the city of Kenosha passed a key milestone Tuesday as leaders from the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin, along with officials from the city and county, gathered at the State Capitol to sign intergovernmental agreements.
“We are proud to partner with the elected leaders of Kenosha to move forward with the proposed Kenosha Hard Rock Hotel and Casino,” said Gena Kakkak, chairwoman of the Menominee Tribe. “The Menominee believe that to be good for our tribe, the project must be good for the community, and these agreements help make sure that is the case. We look forward to working together to continue advancing this project on the federal and state levels.”
The intergovernmental agreements signed Tuesday address issues relating to support for municipal services, contributions to local projects, and sharing the net win from the casino. Now, the proposed Hard Rock casino must gain state and federal approval to move forward.
The Menominee Tribe is preparing its initial federal application for submission in the next few months to the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The IGAs are part of the application.
Menominee chairman Ronald J. Corn, Sr. previously told BizTimes Milwaukee he is optimistic the project will be approved in a year or two.
“This project is a major positive for Kenosha County, and it will yield many benefits, including more than 1,000 new jobs and a $360 million private sector investment in our community,” said Kenosha County Executive Samantha Kerkman. “The IGA protects the interests of the county, and I look forward to helping make this proposal a reality.”
The Hard Rock casino would be built on a 60-acre site located just west of Interstate 94 at 60th Street in the city of Kenosha. It will include a Hard Rock Cafe, six new restaurants, a Hard Rock Live entertainment venue, a 150-room Hard Rock Hotel, and a casino with 1,500 slot machines, more than 50 table games, and a sports book area.
The tribe says the project would bring tourism (an estimated 2.4 million guests annually), economic growth and financial support to the city and the county as well as the tribe.
