UPDATE: I had a convo with a city official yesterday and they brought up an interesting point, “Who told Royal River to keep quiet about this plan until after the Events Center vote?”
Glad to see someone is checking into these things;
According to documents obtained this week by KELOLAND News the tribe approach city leaders last year with a proposal to build a 1600 slot machine, 100,000 square foot casino in Sioux Falls. The tribe’s proposal shows the City of Sioux Falls would share nearly $9 million a year in revenue, which is the exact amount the city will pay every year for the events center.
I also got another tip in the naming rights debacle, well kinda, one of the interested parties basically cannot deny or confirm they submitted a proposal because of a disclosures. So for now, we wait.
When Heidepriem was arguing against the casino in Iowa and held his press conference in a ditch, the Flandreau tribe had made public comments about wanting to come to Sioux Falls… so this wasn’t much of a stretch. They were even quoted on KELO about the possibility.
However, considering it would require state action in the legislature and the signature of the Governor, it really has very little to do with our Mayor or Council.
Frankly, I’m not sure why we would allow the tribe to setup shop in Sioux Falls as they take half the profit when we could allow a non-tribe casino to be built and we could collect taxes on every dollar spent there. Plus, any “real” casino is bound to take business away from the plethora of rathole casinos we have in this city, which is merely shifting revenue from one place to another. In short – a tribe-owned casino would be less profitable to the city and to the state than a non-tribe casino.
I can understand why the tribe would want this because they are losing millions in revenue to Great Falls, but I have no idea why anyone in state or city leadership would fall for this plan.
Actually, Scott, the Argus had the story first this morning:
http://www.argusleader.com/article/20120517/NEWS/305170031/Tribe-says-offer-stands-build-Sioux-Falls-casino?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|Home.
They probably knew that KELO was working on it as well. I’m glad to see this finally made public. It’s disgraceful and unethical that MMM never offered this information for consideration and debate during any of his EC presentations.
I rarely gamble – don’t even play Powerball – but when you have an opportunity to build a Mohegan Sun type of complex at the junction of I-29 / I-90, the least our elected Mayor can do is meet with these folks on behalf of the taxpayers who he has now saddled with almost $200m of debt!
We could put both the EC and Casino next to each other and double the draw power. How about making the old base area on the north side of Russell a reservation trust land and make it legal? A nice moving sidewalk over Russell would make it a fun experience for all.
Let the voter’s decide. Like I have said all along, the voters should have picked the location and the funding option. This meeting occurred last May before the location was even picked. Like the RR relocation, Huether wanted it kept under wraps so he could do the EC his way. Well guess what, ‘his way’ is starting to look worse and worse each day.
The Shit Creek Events Center sounds like an appropriate name to me.
I was with you nearly all the way, til you came up with this line.
…when you have an opportunity to build a Mohegan Sun type of complex at the junction of I-29 / I-90…
Are you serious?
Poly – yes. This wouldn’t have been some little buffet and ballroom like Grand Falls: http://www.keloland.com/ClassLibrary/Page/News/files/SF%20Casino%20Proposal.pdf
Flandreau-Santee were proposing to build the EC as part of this complex. Our new EC will be 12,000 seats. Mohegan Sun’s is only 10,000: http://www.mohegansun.com/entertainment/arena.html
I have doubts whether another casino would make it. State lottery casinos everywhere and indian casinos all around us. People are getting tired of gaming. However, if people do not have to travel to lose their money, maybe. It’s important that another casino be private venture without taxpayer involvement.
Where is this “Tribal Land” that they want to build the Casino on?
But why deal with only one tribe? If the Masters of the Sioux Empire could hear proposals from other tribes in secret, it would lead to a competition. And that bit of geniusness hasn’t been pulled off since the glory days of… well, you know who.
Remember Darrin, one of paper = four of coin!
You can’t lose!
This was mentioned back when Grand Falls was just a dream.
Within the last month or so, a tribe proposed building a casino in the twin cities to fund the Vikings stadium. This deal did not gain any traction at all and Minnesota did not bite. Now Royal River is resurrecting a casino in SF to pay for Mike’s event center. I wouldn’t buy into this idea at all. From what I have heard, there is very little control over Indian casinos and there have been questions about their internal operations. Would feel better about this if it were private investors and the casino was regulated by the State.
You make a great point, but you are missing the details.
1) This was proposed a year ago, before funding was in place and before a location was picked
2) I agree with the mayor, hate gambling, but I do believe in democracy, I think the voters should get to decide if this is a good idea or not
3) As for Indian bashing? Don’t have time for it. I know 10x the number of white assholes as I do Lakota assholes. It’s time for you to get over your predjudice. Lakota are the most giving, spiritual people I have ever known.
name 10 white assholes, i will retort with 2 natives
I was actually being nice to the crackers. I can probably come up with 100x the white assholes to 2 Lakota.
I’m guessing you have no fucking clue as to what the word “theory” means. Amirite?
Shrimp Taco-
To suggest OUR casino would rival Mohegan Sun is laughable. What is with some people who see SF as this mega destination center? SF is small time in regards to comparisons like this. 90 miles north of Mohegan Sun is Boston Mass. 90 miles south is New York City. The Mohegan is nestled in an area of the country with tens of millions of people with REAL money. 90 miles north of SF is Watertown. 90 miles south is Sioux City.
From the Mohegan webpage. Some things SF will never see.
As a premier destination worldwide, Mohegan Sun includes:
More than 300,000 square feet of gaming excitement within three casinos—Casino of the Earth, Sky & Wind, including smoke-free areas
A 34-story, 1,200-room luxury hotel tower
A 20,000 square-foot world-class spa by Elemis
The Shops at Mohegan Sun, a 130,000 square-foot retail shopping experience
Over 40 restaurants, food and beverage outlets
Three entertainment venues including a 10,000-seat Arena; a 350-seat Cabaret Theatre and a 300-seat Wolf Den
More than 100,000 square feet of meeting and function space, including one of the largest ballrooms in the Northeast
A professionally-managed business center
10,000 square-foot indoor pool
A 17,500 square-foot outdoor sun terrace
3-story crystal mountain
A 55-foot indoor waterfall
An electrifying water wall
Poly – Thanks for the geography lesson.
I never said they’d build another Mohegan Sun, certainly nothing close to the overall magnitude. But it would be similiar, and unprecedented in this area, in the concentrated number of slot machines and size of its event center. I can’t think of anything else like it within a day’s drive of here, so it has the potential to become a destination attraction. I’ve always thought that intersection would be a prime spot for an Outlet Mall, too.
Doesn’t matter, it’s all speculation anyway. It won’t happen as long as Baby Huey is mayor.
Doesn’t matter, it’s all speculation anyway. It won’t happen as long as Baby Huey is mayor.
Agreed. My point of contention from day 1 about our 12,000 seat McArena? We simply do not have the geographical numbers or demographics to support one. Hell, we can’t even fill the 6,000 seat arena. This thing has SUBSIDY written ALL over it.
The thing I have against Indian Casinos and I don’t know if it is true or not, but I have heard they don’t collect state sales tax and therefore don’t pay any state sales tax. When I lived in Watertown, there were several people that told me they wouldn’t patronize the Dakota Sioux Casino for that reason.
Joan, you are right, Indian Casinos do not pay any sales taxes to the State of SD.
They also pay no federal fuel taxes. Go buy gas on the res in Nebraska, and you will pay a lot less per gallon.
Kelo should buy naming rights so they can continue their quest to rename the city.
Kelo has trouble paying for Jorgi’s chislic feed ventures let alone naming rights.
We could rename Russell Street to Russell Means Street. Concerts (and hopefully wrestling matches) could be held at the Wahoo McDaniel auditorium. The casino could give away vintage Indian Motorcycles to all the big slot winners. Discount gas, alcohol, and tobacco at the Robert Many Horses mini-mart. Plus a pettin’ zoo and waterslide for the kiddies.
Personally, if a tribe (or all of them together) wants to build a casino here and help pay for the EC – I say, “Let ’em.” The state can negotiate a compact which allows some sales tax to be collected in exchange for building off-reservation and the tribe could help finance the financing/operating of the center. We could free up X amount of dollars every year for roads, park, etc. Full disclosure – I don’t gamble, so this plan wouldn’t include my money, but paying $10/aspirin so T. Denny’s hospital can buy naming rights (and every HS scoreboard in a 4 state area) isn’t much different, is it??