Casino Stalker | Meetings

Pokagon Band set for first public hearing on Indiana casino bid

Wednesday, March 18, 2015

This image shows Alternative A for the land-into-trust site in South Bend, Indiana. No plans have been approved as of yet. Image from Pokagon EIS

Supporters and opponents in Indiana are gearing up public meeting to discuss a casino and other developments proposed by the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians.

A group called the Michiana Pokagon Alliance is supporting the tribe's plan for a $480 million casino in South Bend. The board consists of local business and community leaders.

In contrast, an opposition group called Citizens for a Better Michiana is keeping its purported leadership under wraps. Jake Teshka, a former local Republican official, is the only person who has publicly identified himself a member.

Meanwhile, elected officials in South Bend appear to be receptive to the casino and village being proposed by the tribe. Even some in a neighboring county said they might be open to the idea -- the environmental impact statement released by the Bureau of Indian Affairs last week identifies potential alternative sites for development.

The BIA's public meeting will take place April 14 at the Century Center in South Bend.

Get the Story:
Elkhart County site offered as alternative to South Bend casino plan (The Elkhart Truth 3/18)
Pro-Pokagon grass roots group forms (WNDU 3/18)

Federal Register Notices:
Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians Fee-to-Trust Transfer for Tribal Village and Casino, City of South Bend, St. Joseph County, Indiana (March 12, 2015)
Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Pokagon Band Tribal Village Fee-to-Trust Acquisition and Casino Project in the City of South Bend, St. Joseph County, IN (August 24, 2012)