The Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians have announced that the tribe’s new $400 million Four Winds South Bend casino located at 3300 Prairie Road will open to the public on Jan. 16 at 4pm EST, according to the South Bend Tribune.
After announcing detailed plans regarding the proposed casino on December 7, 2016, the tribe held a topping out ceremony in July last year for what is the first Native American owned and operated casino in the state of Indiana. The South Bend casino joins Four Winds locations in Michigan including Hartford, New Buffalo and Dowagiac.
According to Four Winds, the first phase of the casino will be 175,000 square feet of gaming including 1,800 electronic gaming devices, along with restaurants, bars, player’s lounge, coffee shop, retail outlets and a parking garage.
In a news release, Chairman of the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians, John P. Warren, said “When we broke ground in December 2016, we did so knowing we’ll have a significant economic impact on the region,” according to the news agency. Warren added, “Once operating, it will generate revenue to fund services and programs that will create additional economic opportunities for Pokagon Citizens, the city of South Bend, and also fund community projects, local organizations and schools.”
In November last year, the Pokagon Band celebrated the opening of a new 4,600 square foot the tribal police substation, which will service the 166-acre site located on South Bend’s southwest side that was placed in trust by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) on November 18, 2016.
Depending on the success of the casino, future plans could include a hotel, nightclub and event center. Meanwhile, the development’s ad 7BALL CC joining tribal village will reportedly include housing for tribal members.
