The Kenosha City Council and the Kenosha County Board are planning to hold separate meetings regarding the intergovernmental agreements which will bring a proposed casino to the area. Plans were made for both meetings during the County Board’s organizational meeting, with the Council meeting set to take place at 6 p.m. on Thursday at the Municipal Building, and the County Board meeting at 6:30 p.m. on November 14 at the Administration Building.
The Menominee tribe last year announced a partnership with Hard Rock International to build a casino and entertainment center just west of Interstate 94 on around 60 acres of land. Last summer, the Bristol Village Board and the Community Development Authority sold the land to Kenosha for $15.2 million.
The upcoming meetings will focus on the intergovernmental agreements between the Menominee tribe and both the city and county. The City of Kenosha has made the agenda and accompanying documents available on their website, but as of Tuesday, the documents for the County Board were not available.
A survey conducted last fall indicated strong support for the proposed casino. Among Kenosha County residents, 60% favored the project, while a poll of 600 regional residents showed 60% in support and 15% opposed. Support was even higher in the surrounding counties, reaching 63% in Waukesha, 62% in Racine, and 58% in Milwaukee.
The survey also found that the project had broad support across different demographics. In Kenosha County, support was strongest among young people and minority groups.
The proposed casino and entertainment center has been a major point of discussion for the region, and the upcoming meetings will provide an opportunity for public input and further discussion about the potential agreements. This story is still developing.