Greektown Casino plans gala opening while state continues investigation

Thursday, Nov. 2, 2000 | 12:25 p.m.

The casino has planned a downtown block party and black-tie gala for a scheduled Nov. 10 opening night. Detroit Mayor Dennis Archer is set to appear, and dozens of news media organizations have been invited.

But the Michigan Gaming Control Board's executive director said the date's not set.

"That's their schedule," said Nelson Westrin. "It's not our schedule."

Westrin said three of the board's five members must decide Wednesday whether to allow the opening. Before voting on the license, the board will hold a hearing to hear testimony on the tribe's business dealings as well as from downtown residents and workers.

The board in September had given the casino a green light to continue, but reopened an investigation into the ownership in mid-October. The board is re-examining the financial standing of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians. The 28,000-member tribe owns 90 percent of the $150 million site.

Among the allegations against the tribe that investigators are examining come from a former business partner, Ernest Young. Young says he was forced into improper business dealings by some tribal officials.

Some downtown workers are upset about already losing parking to the casino. The casino has no onsite parking and has been buying nearby lots and displacing residents and workers.

The Wednesday hearing is set to start at 3 p.m. and could last until 8:30 p.m. - a half hour after the start of the casino's first charity event.

"It all depends on what comes in that day, and on the board's feelings of readiness," Westrin said. "If they have any concerns that need to be articulated or reviewed, there would have to be an adjournment."

Greektown Casino will be Detroit's third casino. With each day, Greektown falls farther behind its competitors, giving the local MotorCity and MGM Grand gambling halls that opened last year more time to build customer loyalty and costing the city additional tax revenue.

All three casinos are to move to permanent Detroit sites within four years on land that Archer said officials continue negotiating to obtain.