White Earth Nation pushes back anticipated opening for third casino

Thursday, February 2, 2017

Wild rice at Star Lake in Minnesota. Photo: Star Lake Concerned Citizens Group

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The White Earth Nation continues to work on plans for a third gaming facility in Minnesota.

The casino would be built on 14.5 acres of trust land at Star Lake in Otter Tail County. But since the Shooting Star project includes development on another 225 acres of fee land, the tribe is seeking local approval, according to news reports.

As part of the process, the tribe has completed an environmental assessment that will be reviewed by the county. The additional layer of review has pushed back the anticipated opening date to late fall of 2018, The Pelham Focus reported.

Meanwhile, the Star Lake Concerned Citizens Group continues to mobilize opposition with the rallying cry of "It's not a done deal." Property owners and residents are worried that the casino will disrupt the rural nature of Star Lake.

Plans call for a resort with 180 hotel rooms, a recreational vehicle park and a convention center. The gaming portion would be located on a 14.5-acre parcel that has been in trust since the 1930s.

The site is separated from the main reservation, where the tribe operates two Shooting Star locations

Read More on the Story:
The waiting game: all's quiet on the casino front as processes play out (The Pelham Focus 1/19)
Build it and they will come...probably: Casino could lead to housing boom in Star Lake area (The Detroit Lakes Tribune 2/1)

Some Opinions:
Deb Wallwork: White Earth should shoot down plans for Star Lake Casino (The Detroit Lakes Tribune 2/1)
Jason Gorr: Star Lake Casino project a bad idea (The Fergus Falls Journal 1/29)