"Bay Mills hopes to generate a few thousand more jobs in Port Huron, where it has been trying for 17 years to open a casino.

Earlier this month, the tribe exercised a long-held option to buy property at Desmond Landing, the development put together by Port Huron philanthropist Jim Acheson.

Roughly speaking, the casino site is bordered by Court Street on the north, Military Street on the west, Chestnut Street on the south and the St. Clair River on the east. I say "roughly" because it does not include the elegant headquarters of Woman's Life Insurance Society or the riverfront promenade that will fulfill Acheson's promise of public access to the water.

I met Thursday with Parker and Mike Malik, the casino developer who has been working with Bay Mills since 1993, over milkshakes at Powers Diner. We were joined by Malik's son (another Mike) as well as two of the tribe's lawyers, Kathryn Tierney and Chad DePetro.

This is an opinion column, and as I wrote a week ago, I believe the odds of a casino actually opening in Port Huron are somewhere between unlikely and improbable."

Get the Story:
Jeff Parker: Casino developers confident of success (The Port Huron Times Herald 11/14)

Also Today:
AG 'still evaluating' Vanderbilt casino (The Gaylord Herald Times 11/15)

Other Opinions:
Talk Back: Callers voice support for casino idea (The Port Huron Times Herald 11/14)

Related Stories:
Talk Back: Residents not keen on Bay Mills off-reservation casino (11/10)
Lobbyist who was praised by Bay Mills works against tribe's casino (11/9)
Little Traverse Bay Bands ends payment to state in casino dispute (11/9)
Bay Mills Indian Community defends legality of gaming operation (11/8)
Bay Mills Indian Community mum following purchase of more land (11/5)
Michigan tribes push for closure of Bay Mills off-reservation casino (11/4)
Bay Mills Indian Community opens off-reservation casino after all (11/3)
Bay Mills Indian Community rejects speculation over casino bid (10/25)