Kenosha Hard Rock Casino proposal, Common Council votes to approve
KENOSHA, Wis. - The Kenosha Common Council on Wednesday, Jan. 3 voted to approve a proposal for a Hard Rock Casino.
The land for the proposed casino is on County Highway K off I-94 and would take over an area that is currently farmland. The Menominee tribe, which would run the casino, said the Common Council approved an intergovernmental agreement to move the project forward. The city would own the land.
A document associated with the proposal, which the Menominee tribe shared with FOX6 News, described a gaming area with 1,500 slot machines and an estimated 50 table games – plus restaurants, bars and more. The proposal also calls for a 150-room Hard Rock Hotel, a Hard Rock Cafe and a Hard Rock Live venue with 2,000 seats.
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The document said the casino project is estimated to cost $360 million and create nearly 1,000 construction jobs over 18 months. It would employ an estimated 1,000 people once open, with average full-time pay around $54,000.
The casino is expected to generate more than 2.4 million annual visits, the document said, with nearly 1.6 million of those coming from out of state. The estimated economic output would be $352 million for Kenosha County and $492 million for the state.
Rendering of proposed Hard Rock Casino
This latest effort to get a casino in Kenosha is not the first. Years ago, a different Hard Rock was proposed to go at the greyhound racetrack site. Scott Walker, who was governor at the time, rejected it at the eleventh hour.
Statement from Gena Kakkak, Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin chair:
"We thank the City Council for its continued support for and confidence in the many positives that the Kenosha Hard Rock Casino will bring to the community. We also appreciate the ongoing support and leadership of Mayor John Antaramian on this issue. The benefits for Kenosha include more than 1,000 new jobs, a multi-million dollar boost to the local economy, and new and exciting restaurants and entertainment options for residents and visitors alike. In addition, residents will share in the success of the casino through annual payments to Kenosha that will contribute millions of dollars to more than cover the costs of essential municipal services related to the project."
"The Menominee believe that to be good for us, the Kenosha Hard Rock Casino has to be good for the community, and the City Council’s approval of the agreement reinforces that it is a good deal for Kenosha. The City benefits and the Tribe benefits. We look forward to continuing discussions with the County Board to answer any remaining questions there might be"