Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, The: Torch signals lavish casino expansion

Torch signals lavish casino expansion

Potawatomi officials put project at $120 million

By TOM HELD

of the Journal Sentinel staff

Monday, April 24, 2000

If the 95-foot torch rising out of the remodeled Potawatomi casino is attention-getting now, wait until the rest of the bells and whistles are hooked up to the gaming facility, which could become the city's top tourist attraction.

The torch -- a tower topped by a glowing lantern -- is the centerpiece of the new, $120 million Potawatomi casino that is expected to attract 3 million patrons a year, a bigger draw than the Bucks and Brewers combined.

The juxtaposition of the Forest County tribe's earthy heritage with the flash of contemporary gaming will dominate the building, now under construction in the Menomonee Valley.

The tower will serve as the building's grand lobby and a symbol of the Potawatomi Tribe's designation as the "Keeper of the Fire." It's visible above the 16th St. viaduct.

Beyond the grand lobby, the casino's primary gaming room sprawls under a 32-foot ceiling. The expanse will be separated into four segments surrounding the circle of life and depicting the four seasons.

"I think it will be surprising to a lot of people when they come in and see this world-class building," said Jeff Crawford, the Potawatomi attorney general. "We've always said we are going to build a casino that will create a positive image of Milwaukee."

And the tribe is willing to pay the price for that image -- $120 million. The price tag quoted by tribal officials on Friday is nearly $50 million beyond the figure discussed when the tribe sought local approval for the expansion in early 1999.

Construction on the new casino started last June. Tribal officials hope to open the gambling center on Oct. 1.

Crawford said the tribe expects 3 million patrons will visit the casino annually.

The new casino will include 250,000 square feet on two floors and a mezzanine, five times the space of the current building. Most of the additional space will be devoted to giving gamblers more elbow room, more food and more entertainment.

The number of blackjack tables will stay at 24, and the number of slot machines will remain at 1,000, the maximum allowed under the tribe's gaming compact with the state. The number of seats for bingo will increase to 2,500, just 300 more than the tribe offered when it first opened its doors in the Menomonee Valley nine years ago.

Tribal officials working on the project call the new casino a "quantum leap" from that Spartan beginning.

Even in its current rough shape, the new casino clearly projects a dramatic improvement from the current facility, which has all of the slot machines and blackjack tables packed tightly into an unremarkable room.

While the current casino has snack bars, the new building will offer a 150-seat restaurant for fine dining and a 390-seat buffet hall adjacent to the bingo center.

The new bingo area has the rounded shape of the Eagles Ballroom, a glass-enclosed area for non-smokers and a state-of-the-art ventilation system.

"This will be the finest bingo area in the country," said Kim Tribbett, who serves as the tribe's project manager.

The primary gaming area will be on the first floor, below the bingo hall. Each of the four distinct areas surrounding the circle of life will depict a different season.

An ice wall will serve as a backdrop for the slot machines in the winter area. A nesting heron and a network of trellises will hover over the spring area. An abstract honeycomb and small droplets of honey will hang over the summer area. And a timber wigwam amid falling leaves will anchor the fall section.

Columns within the gaming area will be covered in birch bark, and simulated timbers will extend throughout the room.

"You won't be able to see any wall without a special treatment," said Linda Sowell, the casino's public relations director.

A sports bar will be located adjacent to the main gaming room, and the tribe is considering whether to sell alcohol in that location and in the dining areas.

Crawford said the tribe would apply to the city for a liquor license in the next month or two, but the tribal membership would decide later whether to offer alcohol in the new casino. The tribe does not plan to allow alcohol in the gaming areas, Crawford said.

On a mezzanine level above the primary gaming area, the tribe will convey more of its tradition with a cultural heritage center featuring artifacts and the history of the tribe. The area will include a gift shop.

The new casino also offers a 600-seat theater, which will be used as a venue for live music, comedians and other shows. Tables and booths will provide cabaret-style seating on the floor area, with single seats also available in a steep theater section.

Sowell said the plans for the new casino and its various amenities were developed from the suggestions of casino patrons and from touring various gaming properties across the country.