Despite formidable legal and economic hurdles, the Potawatomi tribe is looking at the proposed PabstCity development and land north of the Bradley Center as possible new locations for an expanded casino.

Jeff Crawford, the tribe's attorney general, said the tribe maintains an open mind about the possibility of moving downtown, and he acknowledged tribal officials have looked at both sites.

"Certainly we've looked at them. We're aware of the Bradley Center and Pabst sites as possible sites of the casino," he said.

Crawford said the tribe's position remains the same as it was in March 2004, when County Executive Scott Walker and then-Mayor Marvin Pratt approached the tribe with the idea: In order to move the casino, the tribe needs strong support from local officials, the downtown business community, other tribes and Gov. Jim Doyle.

The downtown casino move remains a long shot, said Crawford, who did not identify other potential sites for an expanded casino.

Timothy Sheehy, president of the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce, said he was not directly involved in any talks with the tribe. But the MMAC is playing a part as a resource for the tribe.

"The Milwaukee Development Corporation, which is a part of us, has done some work as a part of their overall look at downtown from a real estate perspective, and they have talked to representatives of the Potawatomi and where, potentially, they could come downtown," Sheehy said.

The Milwaukee Development Corp. is a non-profit developer.

"If I were the Potawatomi, and looking downtown, I would be looking at land near the Bradley Center," Sheehy said.

While not shooting down a possible downtown site, the tribe has prepared plans for a $240 million expansion at its current Menomonee Valley site.

The possibility, however slim, that the casino would move downtown could provide an economic boost to that part of downtown. The tribe takes in an estimated $260 million a year at the casino the largest take of all the state casinos and the casino is responsible for approximately 2,000 full- and part-time jobs.

A downtown casino might also serve as a centerpiece to the sports and entertainment venues nearby.

According to Crawford, "you have to have everyone lined up" before asking the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs to approve the casino move. Federal approval would be necessary for designating a new casino site as federal trust land for the tribe.

In addition, the tribe would need to have a buyer lined up for its Potawatomi Bingo Casino in the Menomonee Valley, a facility, opened in 2000, that the tribe so far has spent about $135 million developing, Crawford said. The market for the 250,000-square-foot structure would likely be small because of the building's large size and unusual configuration.

Another major hurdle to any Potawatomi casino expansion: a favorable ruling from the state Supreme Court in a case brought by Dairyland Greyhound Park that's seeking to outlaw casino gambling. The ruling is expected later this year.

The tribe wants to act quickly to expand if it gets a favorable ruling, either at its current site or a new downtown site, Crawford said. That would mean forces pushing for moving the casino downtown would need to line up solid local support within a few months for that option to be seriously considered by the tribe.

He emphasized that any push for a downtown casino move must originate with city business and political leaders.

"They are going to be the driving force, if this is ever going to happen," he said.

Mayor Tom Barrett said he had "pre-, pre-conversations" with tribal officials.

"I understand the Potawatomi wants to get more revenue," he said. "The city is interested in more revenue, too."

Barrett noted that a casino move to PabstCity would have ramifications for the $39 million tax incremental financing district the city has proposed for PabstCity.

TIF districts raise money through property tax revenue generated by new development. But the tribe does not pay property taxes for operating the casino.

Ald. Bob Bauman said there had been discussions with the tribe for a year.

"I would be very open to the idea," he said of a move downtown.

Barrett said he believed the Potawatomi would be able to generate more gambling revenue if it moved its casino downtown.

A spokesman for Wispark, one of the developers of PabstCity, declined to comment on possible tribal interest.

The PabstCity project is expected to be a mix of housing, retail and entertainment on the site of the old Pabst brewery, which occupies several blocks along W. Juneau Ave., about four blocks north of Wisconsin Ave. and just east of I-43.

Evan Zeppos, a spokesman for the Bradley Center, said Bradley Center officials had been in discussions with tribal officials. It was the Bradley Center that initiated talks with the tribe.

"There is open communication," Zeppos said. "We are interested in continuing that discussion."

Officials of the Bradley Center, 1001 N. 4th St., have talked for several years about developing the land it owns around the arena as a way of generating more revenue, especially for its main tenant, the Milwaukee Bucks. The largest parcel is now a parking lot at the corner of N. 6th St. and W. Juneau Ave.

The land that could be made available to the tribe could either be leased or sold to the tribe. That, in turn, would provide new revenue for the Bradley Center.

Copyright 2005, Journal Sentinel Inc. All rights reserved. (Note: This notice does not apply to those news items already copyrighted and received through wire services or other media.)

Copyright 2005 Journal Sentinel Inc. Note: This notice does not apply to those news items already copyrighted and received through wire services or other media
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