The decision comes more than 20 years after residents of the city voted in favour of the complex. Beloit voters approved the project in a 1999 referendum, with the tribe purchasing the land in 2009.
It has been working to gain federal and state approval to build a casino on that land since 2012, with Governor Tony Evers signing off on the project over a year ago. The plan places 33 acres of land into trust for the project, which is expected to create around 3,000 construction jobs and 1,300 permanent jobs.
The tribe reportedly plans to handle the design and construction of the project, including the necessary infrastructure. It would include one of the largest casinos in the state, along with a 300-room hotel, with more than 45,000 square feet of meeting and convention space and a 40,000-square-foot indoor waterpark.
As reported by AP News, Senator Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin said the venue should provide a long-term source of revenue for essential housing, as well as education and health programmes for tribal members.
The casino will be Ho-Chunk Nation’s fourth casino in the state of Wisconsin. The tribe’s other properties in the state are the ones in Nekoosa, Baraboo, and Black River Falls.
Ho-Chunk Nation spokesman Ryan Greendeer commented: “This is tremendous. This is the final approval. From here we can start building.
“The Nation sees this project as an investment to recover from the pandemic and create new economic opportunities for everyone.”
