The Keweenaw Bay Indian Community owns and operates the Ojibwa Casino in Marquette, Michigan. Photo: Brian Alexander Nowak

Openings & Closings

Keweenaw Bay Indian Community shares update on casino work

Thursday, May 25, 2017

The Keweenaw Bay Indian Community is updating the expected completion dates for two casino projects in Michigan amid scheduling and cost concerns.

Both projects are running about a month behind schedule, the tribe told KLUC. That's pushed out the completion date at the Ojibwa Casino in Baraga to March 2018 and the facility in Marquette to September 2018, the station reported.

There's also been some budget adjustments. The tribe originally said it would spend $6.5 million at Baraga and $33.5 million at Marquette.

It now looks like the Marquette project is going to cost at least $2.5 million more than expected, Larry Denomie III, the tribe's chief executive officer, wrote in the April 2017 issue of Wiikwedong Dazhi-Ojibwe. A 76-room hotel and 1,200-seat entertainment are among the factors driving up cost, he said.

To address the changes, work is being scaled back at Baraga in order to stay within the $40 million overall budget that was approved by tribal citizens. The project will consist of a "major facelift inside" rather than adding a new building at the site, Denomie wrote.

"The tribe remains positive about the casino projects. They will provide a return on the investment whether as originally planned or modified as described above," Denomie said.

Read More on the Story:
Casino construction only slightly delayed (WLUC 5/24)