Potawatomi Hotel & Casino on Tuesday confirmed that it plans to expand its hotel with a second 19-story tower.
Construction on the $80 million project will begin later this year, pending application approval by the city of Milwaukee.
BizTimes first reported about the hotel expansion project in February.
The second tower will house 119 rooms and suites, bringing the hotel’s total number to 500. The 180,000-square-foot addition will also feature a spa and additional meeting space. It is expected to open in the spring of 2019.
“The Forest County Potawatomi have committed to investing in Milwaukee. This next addition is one more example of that commitment,” said Potawatomi Hotel & Casino Chief Operating Officer Rodney Ferguson. “Aside from accommodating our guests, the project will create hundreds of jobs on the construction site and dozens of permanent positions within the hotel.”
The second hotel tower at the casino will be attached to the 19-story, 381-room hotel tower that was built at the casino in 2014.
It is anticipated that 50 permanent hotel jobs will be created as part of the project. The property currently employs nearly 2,700, making it one of the top-25 employers in the Milwaukee area.
The project will also spur additional revenue for the city and county of Milwaukee, VISIT Milwaukee and the state of Wisconsin from property, sales, exposition and personal income taxes.
The property has submitted more than $100 million in revenue sharing payments to the city of Milwaukee and Milwaukee County over the past decade.
“By adding nearly 60 suites to the property with this expansion, we’re prioritizing our casino guests and their experience when visiting,” Ferguson said. “The rooms, along with the spa, will bolster the property’s reputation as an attractive destination for visitors in the region and beyond.”
