The Bureau of Indian Affairs on Friday approved the Ho-Chunk Nation’s application for a casino in Beloit, more than two decades after the city residents voted in favor of the complex.
The plan places 33 acres of land into trust for the project, which is expected to produce 3,000 construction jobs and 1,300 permanent jobs. Officials say the tribe plans to handle design and construction for the project, including the necessary infrastructure.
The complex would include one of the largest casinos in the state, as well as a 300-room hotel with more than 45,000 square feet of meeting and convention space, and a 40,000-square-foot indoor waterpark.
Beloit voters approved the project in a 1999 referendum. The tribe purchased the land in 2009 and has been working to win federal and state approval to build a casino there since 2012. Gov. Tony Evers signed off on the plan more than a year ago.
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It will be the tribe’s fourth casino in Wisconsin, including one in Nekoosa, one in Baraboo and one in Black River Falls.
U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Madison, said the new facility should provide a long-term source of revenue for essential housing, as well as education and health programs for tribal members.
Photos: Menominee Tribe's march to the Wisconsin State Capitol
Members of the Menominee Tribe complete their 155-mile march at the Wisconsin State Capitol to address the need for the proposed Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Kenosha, in Madison, Wis., Wednesday, February 18, 2015.
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Members of the Menominee Tribe make their way down State Street in route to the Wisconsin State Capitol to address the need for the proposed Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Kenosha, in Madison, Wis., Wednesday, February 18, 2015. Amber Arnold -- State Journal
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Vyron Dixon, left, with the Menominee Tribal Legislature, and Basil BW O'Kimosh, member of the Menominee Tribe, react to one of the speakers during the tribe's march to the Wisconsin State Capitol to address the need for the proposed Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Kenosha, in Madison, Wis., Wednesday, February 18, 2015. Amber Arnold -- State Journal
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Members of the Menominee Tribe and their supporters gather at the Wisconsin State Capitol to address the need for the proposed Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Kenosha, in Madison, Wis., Wednesday, February 18, 2015. Amber Arnold -- State Journal
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Members of the Menominee Tribe make their way up the steps to the Wisconsin State Capitol to address the need for the proposed Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Kenosha, in Madison, Wis., Wednesday, February 18, 2015. Amber Arnold -- State Journal
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Members of the Menominee Tribe make their way down State Street in route to the Wisconsin State Capitol to address the need for the proposed Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Kenosha, in Madison, Wis., Wednesday, February 18, 2015. Amber Arnold -- State Journal
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Corey Dixon, right, with his nephew, Nick Grignon, lead the way down East Washington Avenue during the last leg of a 155-mile trek to Madison with members of the Menominee Tribe as they head to the Wisconsin State Capitol to address the need for the proposed Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Kenosha, in Madison, Wis., Wednesday, February 18, 2015. Amber Arnold -- State Journal
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Francis Delabreau, 7, makes his way down East Washington Avenue, along with members of the Menominee Tribe, with their final destination being the Wisconsin State Capitol to address the need for the proposed Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Kenosha, in Madison, Wis., Wednesday, February 18, 2015. Amber Arnold -- State Journal
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Members of the Menominee Tribe and their supporters attend a rally at the Wisconsin State Capitol to address the need for the proposed Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Kenosha, in Madison, Wis., Wednesday, February 18, 2015. Amber Arnold -- State Journal
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Brenda Gauthier, center, and her niece, Camille King, right, both members of the Menominee Tribe, cheer on their tribe as they march down State Street on their way to the Wisconsin State Capitol to address the need for the proposed Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Kenosha, in Madison, Wis., Wednesday, February 18, 2015. Amber Arnold -- State Journal
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Members of the Menominee Tribe make their way down State Street in route to the Wisconsin State Capitol to address the need for the proposed Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Kenosha, in Madison, Wis., Wednesday, February 18, 2015. Amber Arnold -- State Journal
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Members of the Menominee Tribe and their supporters gather at the Wisconsin State Capitol to address the need for the proposed Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Kenosha, in Madison, Wis., Wednesday, February 18, 2015. Amber Arnold -- State Journal
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Members of the Menominee Tribe and their supporters listen to a speaker during a march to the Wisconsin State Capitol to address the need for the proposed Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Kenosha, in Madison, Wis., Wednesday, February 18, 2015. Amber Arnold -- State Journal
