Tribe sets sight on off-reservation casino

Friday, Feb. 18, 2005 | 9:33 a.m.

GRAND FORKS, N.D. -- A consultant for the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa says tribal officials plan a trip to Washington within the next month to start the process of seeking federal approval for a casino off the reservation.

Consultant Bill Johnson said the trip is just the first step in a long process. The paperwork alone will take at least a year to complete, he said.

An attorney for three brothers who have offered land for the project says they envision more than a casino on what is now 485 acres of undeveloped farm land.

Minneapolis attorney Robert Hakek, who was hired by brothers Guy, Tim and Kevin Useldinger, said the brothers are third-generation farmers in the Grand Forks area. Guy Useldinger also is a licensed real estate agent.

archive