This page contains archived news updates for Hard Rock Kenosha from 2024. These items were originally posted on the casino's profile page and have been preserved here as part of the 500 Nations legacy news archive. Major stories from this year may also appear as standalone articles in the main News section.
The Kenosha County and the Menominee Indian Tribe signed an agreement today for the tribe to build a Hard Rock Casino and Hotel in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Both the Kenosha City Council and the Kenosha County Board of Supervisors voted last month to approve the plan.
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Kenosha casino update | FOX6 News Milwaukee - Courtesy of FOX6 News Milwaukee, Feb 4, 2024. Available from YouTube
The Menominee Tribe plans to build a $360 million Hard Rock casino, hotel and concert venue. The casino will feature 1,500 slot machines, 55 table games and a sportsbook. There will also be multiple dining options, including a Hard Rock Cafe, a Hard Rock Live concert hall, and a 150-room hotel.
Under the agreement the Menominee Tribe would own and operate the casino and lease the land from the City of Kenosha. The land is a 60-acre site west of Interstate 94 at 122nd Ave and 60th Street.
Today is a major step forward for the Hard Rock casino project. There is still a long way to go for final approval from the U.S. Department of Interior and from Gov. Tony Evers.
Last night the Kenosha County Board approved the plan of the Menominee Tribe to build a $360 million Hard Rock casino complex in the City of Kenosha. The plan passed by a narrow 10-9 vote.
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Kenosha County Board approves casino proposal - Courtesy of WISN 12 News, Jan 17, 2024. Available from YouTube
The Menominee Tribe is seeking federal approval to build the casino on 60 acres of off-reservation land west of Interstate 94. If approved, the land will be transferred into federal trust for the tribe. The tribe will have governmental sovereignty of the casino, which will exclude it from state and local taxes.
The offset the loss of taxes and cost of local services, the Menominee Tribe agreed to pay Kenosha County a share of gaming revenues over the next 20 years. A minimum payment of $500,000 a year will be paid in the first eight years, and $1 million a year thereafter.
The Kenosha City Council approved a deal to support the casino two weeks ago. The casino project now awaits a final decision by the U.S. Department of Interior and approval by Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers. The full approval process is expected to be completed sometime this year.
The development plan for a $360 million Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Kenosha, Wisconsin was approved Wednesday night by the Kenosha City Council. The final vote was 11-6 marking the first milestone in a long approval process.
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Kenosha Common Council approves proposal to build new casino - Courtesy of WISN 12 News, Jan 4, 2024. Available from YouTube
The Menominee Tribe will build the Kenosha casino in partnership with Hard Rock. The tribe will finance and own the casino. Hard Rock will develop and manage the operations of the casino.
KENOSHA-MENOMINEE AGREEMENT The Kenosha City Council approval centered on an intergovernmental agreement with the Menominee Tribe's gaming authority with the following financial terms:
The Kenosha Hard Rock Casino will be exempt from local property taxes. Instead, the casino will pay the city 3% of its net gaming revenues. Hard Rock revenues are estimated to reach $250 million to $295 million annually. The minimum annual payments to the city will escalate from $100,000 to $2.5 million. After 20 years the terms will be renegotiated for 10-year periods.
The Menominee Tribe will also pay Kenosha $750,000 toward public schools each year the net gaming revenues exceed $2 million. Beginning in the third year the tribe will also pay $500,000 annually to the Kenosha museums and a home ownership program. A six-year annual payment of $500,000 will build police, fire and public works resources to support the casino area.
NEXT STEP On Jan. 16 the Kenosha County Board of Supervisors will meet to review the Hard Rock plan and vote on its proposed intergovernmental agreement with the tribe.
FEDERAL APPROVAL The Hard Rock casino will be built on a 60-acre site purchased from Village of Bristol in 2022. The Menominee Tribe will seek federal authority to use the land for casino gambling under the U.S. Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. If approved, the U.S. Department of the Interior will transfer the casino site into federal trust giving the tribe sovereignty over the land. This process is expected to take two years.
STATE APPROVAL Before the federal government grants its final approval for the Kenosha Hard Rock Casino, the casino must be approved by the Wisconsin governor. This approval will embody a gaming compact defining the number and types of casino games allowed to operated at the Kenosha casino.
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