Orlando, Fla.-based Hard Rock International today formally announced its alliance with the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin to develop, brand and manage the proposed casino at the site of the former Dairyland Greyhound Park in Kenosha.
The project would be developed in conjunction with Naples, Fla.-based Osceola Group.
The proposed $808 million casino and entertainment center would have 3,100 slot machines, 75 table games, a 5,000-seat multi-purpose entertainment venue, shops and restaurants and a 400-room hotel.
“Hard Rock International is thrilled to collaborate with the Menominee Tribe to create a true regional entertainment destination, which will become an important economic engine for the Menominee and Wisconsin,” said Jim Allen, chairman of Hard Rock International. “We look forward to lending our global recognition, strong financial capabilities and proven experience to this project.”
The parent company for Hard Rock International is The Seminole Tribe of Florida.
“Hard Rock is an internationally recognized, value-added brand known for high quality offerings and world-class entertainment by people across the globe,” said Craig Corn, chairman of the Menominee Tribe. “Bringing Hard Rock to Wisconsin and adding them to our team greatly elevates the excitement around this project and will make it even more attractive and successful as an entertainment destination, particularly to people visiting from Illinois and beyond.”
Hard Rock International has 175 venues in 54 countries, including 138 cafes, 18 hotels and seven casinos. Hard Rock hotel locations include Bali, Cancun, Chicago, Singapore and Hard Rock Hotel & Casino locations include Biloxi, Miss., Las Vegas, Punta Cana, Tampa, Fla.
The Kenosha casino project has been approved by the federal government, but final approval is up to Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, who has said he will not approve a new casino in the state without approval from a “consensus” of the state’s native American tribes. The Potawatomi tribe, which owns Potawatomi Bingo Casino in Milwaukee, has maintained strong opposition to plans of a casino in Kenosha and says the state’s casino market is already saturated.
