Milwaukee casino set for expansion

Forest County Potawatomi Community has announced plans to expand their existing hotel and casino in Milwaukee in an $80m development project.

A second 180,000sq.ft hotel tower will be built on the site, adding a spa, meeting space and an extra 119 rooms and suites to the existing development, creating 50 new jobs.

Potawatomi Hotel & Casino Chief Operating Officer Rodney Ferguson said: “The Forest County Potawatomi have committed to investing in Milwaukee. This next addition is one more example of that commitment.

“Aside from accommodating our guests, the project will create hundreds of jobs on the construction site and dozens of permanent positions within the hotel.”

Subject to approval by state authorities, the project is set to be completed in the spring of 2019.

First opened in 1991 as a bingo hall, the Potawatomi Hotel & Casino is the most visited entertainment destination in Wisconsin, receiving six million visitors annually and generating more than $100m of revenue for the city of Milwaukee and Milwaukee county.

The resort features 2,500 slot machines, 100 table games, a 1,300 seat bingo hall, seven restaurants, a 500 seat theatre and is one of the biggest employers in the Milwaukee area, currently employing over 2,700 people.

Ferguson added: “By adding nearly 60 suites to the property with this expansion, we’re prioritising our casino guests and their experience when visiting.

“The rooms, along with the spa, will bolster the property’s reputation as an attractive destination for visitors in the region and beyond.”