Representatives for the Ho-Chunk Nation of Wisconsin tribal organization have recently revealed that the federally-recognized tribe can finally proceed with its plan to build a new Wisconsin casino resort as they are approaching the finish line. The tribe’s representatives said that they are optimistic regarding the concern of being granted necessary federal approvals for the tribe’s plan to build a three hundred-room resort planned for the city of Beloit.
According to one report from several days ago released by the Beloit Daily News newspaper, the federally-recognized tribe’s Public Information Officer Ryan Greendeer said that the tribal organization is still waiting for a land-into-trust definitive decision from the major regulator body the Bureau of Indian Affairs which is examining the tribe’s request for a thirty-three-acre land plot situated around two miles from the Wisconsin city.
Ho-Chunk Nation of Wisconsin
Formerly known as the Winnebago Tribe, the aforementioned Ho-Chunk Nation federally-recognized tribe has tribal territories across five states in the USA. Today, the Ho-Chunk Nation is one of only two federally-recognized tribes which formed one tribe. The two tribes separated after their members were relocated to a reservation in the state of Minnesota and later to its current reservation in the state of Nebraska.
It is worth mentioning that the Ho-Chunk Nation based in Black River Falls, the state of Wisconsin is a non-reservation tribe as many of its tribal members have privately-owned lands that are placed in Indian Trust Land. When it comes to the tribe’s business ventures, one of its subsidiaries named the Ho-Chunk Gaming Wisconsin organization owns and operates tribal casinos and gaming ventures which are located in Wittenberg, Wisconsin Dells, Tomah, Nekoosa, Madison and Black River Falls where the Ho-Chunk Nation of Wisconsin tribe is based.
The Tribe’s Seventh Casino Gaming Venue
As previously mentioned, the Ho-Chunk Nation of Wisconsin tribe owns and operates six branded casinos located across several cities in the state of Wisconsin. Back in 2016, the tribe has announced plans for its seventh venue of this kind and according to these plans, the tribe will invest around $405 million to bring a casino venue to the land parcel situated near Interstate 90 around one mile from the Illinois border.
Nonetheless, before the tribal organization can start with the construction work, it has to persuade the federal authority or the federal government to place the aforementioned land parcel for the planned gambling venue into a trust. This is a move that would take this gambling-friendly facility beyond the reach of interferences by the state’s regulatory bodies.
Even though the plan submitted by the tribe has already cleared all major obstacles and hurdles, an official update is yet to be released. In fact, no update has been released since May 2019 after the Bureau of Indian Affairs released the final draft concerning an environmental impact statement regarding the proposed casino plan by the Ho-Chunk Nation of Wisconsin tribe.
According to Mr. Greendeer, the tribe’s envisioned casino is reaching the last stages of approval and concurrence. As revealed to Beloit Daily News, the federally-recognized tribe will very soon pick an architectural company that suggests that the casino project is stronger than ever. The tribe has already obtained necessary city support to build and run a 139,700 square feet casino floor alongside a massive 40,000 square feet water park with a number of other amenities such as a convention center and restaurants.
