Tribal casino approved

Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2002 | 11:12 a.m.

DETROIT -- Gov. John Engler has approved a deal that will allow an Indian tribe to open a casino on nontribal land in Port Huron.

The agreement comes after Engler repeatedly said he wouldn't approve any more casinos for the state, The Detroit News reported in a story today.

The Bay Mills Indian Community, based in Brimley, Mich., had claimed to own land in the eastern Upper Peninsula, property that had been given to them by the federal government, but that the state sold.

As part of the deal with the state, the tribe will drop their claims for the Upper Peninsula land in exchange for the Port Huron property.

The deal between the state and the tribe must be approved by the U.S. Congress. U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, on Friday, introduced a bill that would allow Congress to "extinguish" the tribe's claim to Charlotte Beach lands in Chippewa County, and provide for alternative land to be put in a trust for the tribe.

The nine-page settlement, signed by the Republican governor and Bay Mills Executive Council President John Lufkins, includes details such as the parcel of Port Huron land and the percentage of revenues that the tribe must pay state and local governments.

Michigan already is home to nearly 20 Indian casinos operated by a dozen tribes, but this would be the closest to Detroit's three commercial casinos. Port Huron is about 55 miles north of the city.

Engler spokesman Matt Resch said the agreement prevents the tribe from further casino expansion by limiting them to one additional casino in Port Huron.

Bay Mills spokesman Tom Shields said the tribe expects the casino to generate about $100 million a year in revenues -- about a third of a typical Detroit casino.

"This is a win-win for everybody," said Shields, president of Marketing Resource Group Inc., a Lansing firm representing Bay Mills.

But Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick said the city opposes a Port Huron casino because it could take away business from the three Detroit casinos. He plans to take its concerns to Stabenow.

"We're going to fight it. We don't need another casino that close," Kilpatrick said Monday.