Casino plans make progresss

Hotel, entertainment center possible

By Tu-Uyen Tran
Herald Staff Writer

The Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa and its partners appear to have begun putting substantial resources into a proposed casino in Grand Forks.

In its first progress report to the City Council, the tribe said that it has hired two architectural firms, a local advertising firm and several law firms to help it win approval for the project from the federal government.

It also has an office at 3325 S. Washington St., which apparently belongs to partner and landowner Useldinger Properties. There's no staff yet, though a part-timer is planned.

Bill Johnson, the tribe's point man on the project and the report's author, said he'll have more details soon, including financial forecasts and economic impact estimates. Preliminary numbers, he said, indicate the casino would thrive.

Further down the road, the tribe also may discuss its plans for other amenities such as an entertainment lounge and perhaps even a hotel and convention complex.

Though such a move appears bound for controversy, council member Curt Kreun called for calm. The city ought to withhold judgment until there is more information, he said. How big will the casino be? he asked. How big the hotel and entertainment lounge?

40 acres

Besides describing the casino's consulting team, the report, dated Dec. 9, clarified what it called "misconceptions." In doing so, it also put into writing certain promises previously made to the city.

The top concern among council members has been the amount of land that could be converted to tribal sovereignty. The 40 acres that the tribe says it might need seemed way too much to some on the City Council. Council member Doug Christensen, for example, has said he's very worried about the legal implications of giving up city jurisdiction over that much land.

The report clarified that 40 acres really was the maximum and that studies will determine how much really is needed.

Johnson said the federal government requires not only that casinos be on sovereign land, but anything that enhances them also be on sovereign land. That includes parking lots or hotels, he said.

The report also promised that the casino would not compete with the city-owned Alerus Center, something council members worry about. They've already had a taste of that when Ralph Engelstad Arena has bid against the city for concerts and events.

There are plans for an entertainment lounge, Johnson said, but it would not steal acts from the Alerus Center. If the market is big enough, the tribe might add a hotel and convention complex, he said.

If all that happened, the casino would form the nucleus of a hotel and entertainment complex, not unlike the Canad Inns complex to be built at the Alerus Center. Though Canad would offer gaming, its core entertainment venue would be an indoor water park.

Meet the team

As previously reported, Turtle Mountain has retained the services of local architects at Schoen Associates and Omaha-based Leo A. Daly.

Not yet reported is that it has hired the Grand Forks office of advertising firm SimmonsFlint. The firm would provide public relations services and deal with news media rather than orchestrate an ad campaign in favor of the casino, according to the report. Still, that wasn't enough to calm casino opponents such as council member Eliot Glassheim, who feared casino developers' deep pockets would be used to influence public opinion.

Grand Forks Gaming, a new company formed by the Useldinger brothers, will develop and run the casino.

On the tribe's legal team are four law firms.

Gardner, Carton and Douglas, which has an office in Washington, D.C., will work with the federal government to get permission for the casino. Zionst, Chestnut, Varnell, Berley and Slonim in Seattle will help with contracts. Warchol, Berndt and Hajek of Minneapolis will help with Indian gaming agreements. Useldinger's attorney Ed Odland will also offer advice.