FireKeepers Leads to Higher Traffic For Some Area Businesses

While no real solid numbers are available, many businesses located near the FireKeepers Casino have seen higher traffic. However, some area businesses located further away may have seen traffic declines.

Overall, studies have shown that counties with casinos (and surrounding counties) will experience meaningful economic growth within the first few years of a casino opening. Plans for a new hotel across the street and other area growth should help local businesses more in the future. Typically, new business growth will beget more new business.

As far as area nonprofit bingos are concerned, most seem to have suffered lowered attendance by the competition from the FireKeepers bingo hall. FireKeepers opened their bingo last fall, so the record is incomplete. Many feel that they are adjusting and this may only be a temporary setback.

For more information, please see Casino neighbors still await payoff.

FireKeepers Casino Reaches Amended Compact Agreement With State

FireKeepers will pay the State of Michigan 4 percent of net win revenues earned from slot machines and other electronic games under an amended agreement.

An original agreement between FireKeepers and the state had been signed in 1998, but over the last 10 years or so, other tribal casinos located in the state were able to lobby for smaller payments. These tribes were able to successfully bargain after the State Lottery's introduction of Club Keno games, which tribes felt was a violation of the payment agreements.

From the Kalamazoo Gazette:

The state of Michigan will receive less money from the FireKeepers Casino near Battle Creek under an amended compact announced Monday.

State officials say that while the new deal will provide fewer dollars, it will mean a more stable source of funding because it will limit when the casino can withhold payments.

In a written statement, Gov. Jennifer Granholm said the agreement "creates a better understanding and relationship between the state and the tribe while stabilizing a revenue stream used to enhance Michigan's economic development."

Under the amended compact, the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of Potawatomi Indians will pay the state 4 percent of the casino's net win from slot machines and other electronic games in 2009 and 2010. The percentage will then fluctuate each year depending on how much money the casino makes.

The amount will never top 8 percent, the fixed percentage stipulated in the original compact signed in 1998. Net win is the amount of money wagered minus the amount paid out.

FireKeepers new payment schedule should simply bring them in line with what other tribal casinos in the state are paying. The FireKeepers Casino opened in August and the FireKeeper Bingo Hall opened September 8th of this month.

For more information on this story, please see Aaron Aupperlee, FireKeepers Casino to pay less to state, The Kalamazoo Gazette via Mlive.com, September 15, 2009.

FireKeepers Readies for Opening

After a decade of legal battles and a year of construction, the Firekeepers Casino is set to open its doors.

The casino sits along I-94 near 11 Mile Road in Emmett Township. Inside the massive building there will be 2,500 slot machines, 110 game tables and about 1,500 people earning their paychecks.

Now, those employees are ready to celebrate the completion of a lot of work.

Firekeepers is expected to open in August, but getting the casino ready for the big event hasn't been the easiest task. It has taken the work of over 1,000 people who have been hired and trained to get the operation in full swing.

"It's a celebration," said Sonia Mohaney.

For the complete story, please see Firekeepers Casino celebrates being ready to open, Channel 3 News, July 31, 2009.

FireKeepers Casino Pleased With Progress

Although there's no mention of the bingo hall that will open, the following excerpt from Indian Country Today gives a quick account of what to expect from the new FireKeepers Casino in Battle Creek. Due to open in August, the casino may become the premier gambling destination for western Michigan.

One year after the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of Potawatomi began construction on FireKeepers Casino and before its anticipated opening this summer, the $300 million project is already making an economic impact in Michigan.

FireKeepers is expected to create approximately 2,200 jobs – 700 construction and 1,500 permanent. The casino is also projected to generate additional jobs in southwest Michigan when in full operation. Since construction began May 7, 2008, the tribe has made a concerted effort to use business suppliers and labor in the local community and surrounding areas to build and support the casino.

“The tribe is pleased to see the progress we’re making in the construction of FireKeepers Casino and the local economic activity generated from the project,” said Tribal Chair Laura Spurr. “FireKeepers has become a much needed economic boost to not only our tribe but to the region and the state.”

The project is in the finishing stage. Crews are laying carpet, painting walls, positioning cameras and restaurant equipment, and will soon begin the installation of slot machines and tables for blackjack, craps and other card games. Approximately 235 workers representing various trades are on site daily, including painters, carpet and tile installers and bricklayers.

“It is amazing that one year ago, this site was a cornfield,” said Duane Wixson, senior project manager for Clark Construction. “Our incredible progress is a reflection on the leadership of the tribe and gaming entertainment (Michigan) The hard work and effort from our construction team has also contributed to the exceptional quality of this casino.”

For the complete article, please see Tribe pleased with casino construction progress, Indian Country Today, July 14, 2009.

FireKeepers Impact Could Be Far Reaching

FireKeepers Casino has already had an impact on Emmett Township, where it will open in early August along I-94. But area officials are both hoping and fearing the $300 million facility's footprint will be larger than Emmett's boundaries.

Since talk of the casino first arose more than a decade ago, officials spoke of the good and the bad: As a tourist draw, FireKeepers will bring economic development to the entire county, proponents said. All those new people will mean new crime, critics said, and don't forget the gambling addiction.

Now, as the final touches are added to the casino's interior, the talk's the same, just a little louder.

Communities across the county are hoping to benefit from economic development caused by the casino attraction.

"We are going to see an increase in the number of people that come to the area, especially in the first year," ventured Battle Creek Mayor Mark Behnke. "That means more hotels, restaurants, spinoff business in other assets we have in our community, be it Binder Park Zoo, the balloon festival or anything else."

In Marshall Township, whose western edge is only 3,500 feet from the casino, Supervisor Gene Hamaker said all properties along East Michigan Avenue have asked to be dual-zoned commercial-residential. That means they can be residential but can quickly develop into a business property if the opportunity arises.

Also, leaders from municipalities across the county said some of their residents are among the 1,500 employed by the casino.

Studies show the entire county and beyond is likely to see growth. A 2007 Central Michigan University study, for example, found that counties neighboring casino counties actually saw a greater percentage growth than casino counties themselves after gaming facilitis opened.

But it's the same with the bad.

For the complete story, please see Justin A. Hinkley, As open date approaches, impact of FireKeepers Casino still a hot topic, The Battle Creek Enquirer, July 12, 2009.

FireKeepers to Open Five Restaurants

When FireKeepers Casino opens in early August the Battle Creek dining scene will heat up with the addition of five new dining options to include, Nibi, Caf 24/7, Mijem Buffet, Chi Mon-ee's and Amazen Blazen Grab & Go. Under the leadership of Executive Chef Michael McFarlen, the restaurants will offer a wide variety of fresh and flavorful dishes, incorporating local, sustainable ingredients into their menus.

“Michael brings sound culinary experience to FireKeepers Casino,” said R. Bruce McKee, General Manager for FireKeepers Casino. “He's spent much of his career at notable casino properties, but also has an intimate knowledge of local Michigan flavors and tastes. We could not have found a more perfect Executive Chef for FireKeepers and our restaurants will surely set a dining standard in the community.”

McFarlen's extensive experience includes time as the Executive Sous Chef for The Cove-Atlantis and as the Executive Chef for MGM Grand Casino in Detroit, Mich., the Detroit Yacht Club and the Wyndgate Country Club in Rochester, Mich. Prior to joining FireKeepers, he served as the Executive Chef for Ameristar Resort Casino Spa in St. Charles, Mo. He is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America.

For the complete story, please see Five new restaurants heat up the dining scene at FireKeepers Casino, The Battle Creek Enquirer, July 9, 2009.

FireKeepers Casino Works to Reach Agreement Before Opening

Officials at Pine Creek Reservation, the Emmett Township Department of Public Safety and FireKeepers Casino are scrambling to get public safety agreements in place before the casino's early August opening.

That's because the agreements "have hit a last-minute snag," township Supervisor Gene Adkins said at the board's meeting Thursday.

The township board on Thursday postponed approval for the second time on a cross-deputization agreement between their public safety department and the Huron Potawatomi Police Department. In June, trustees wanted the township attorneys to review the language before voting on it.

The contract would deputize tribal police to act with authority on township property. Without the agreement, tribal police couldn't leave the casino grounds, which are sovereign Indian land, in pursuit of criminals.

Friday afternoon, tribal spokeswoman Donna Halinski said the cross-deputization agreement is not needed before the casino opens, and that the postponement of an agreement on the issue is not affecting public safety preparedness at the casino.

For the complete story, please see Justin Hinkley, Updated: Casino deals hit 'snag', The Battle Creek Enquirer, July 10, 2009.

FireKeepers Casino Hopes for Success

A little more than a year ago, drivers passing Exit 104 on Interstate 94 gazed onto corn fields that had been there for generations.

But recently, the electric glow of the mega-sign marking the location of the new FireKeepers Casino was deemed too bright for passing motorists, so it was dimmed.

The Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi hopes the future of the state's newest gambling facility will be just as bright.

Scheduled to open early next month, FireKeepers Casino is a $300 million gamble for a small tribe during a big recession that has brought larger, more experienced gaming operations to their knees.

"We're just happy we're opening," said Laura Spurr, chairwoman of the 1,000-member tribe, which spent 10 years battling legal blockades to open FireKeepers.

"We think we're at the right place at the right time with the right people."

The casino is one of the most ambitious tribal casino projects embarked upon in Michigan. While other facilities such as Soaring Eagle near Mount Pleasant opened to great success, Detroit's three non-tribal casinos -- MGM Grand Detroit, MotorCity Casino and Greektown Casino-Hotel -- have struggled in the past year as consumers pull back on discretionary spending.

In big gambling meccas, Las Vegas and Atlantic City, N.J., year-over-year gaming revenues have declined by double-digit percentages since last year.

"It's a tough time for all casinos, and newcomers are no exception," said Bill Eadington, a gaming expert based at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. "But the good thing about the economy is that it will bounce back. It's just a question of how quickly."

In the troubles of others, Spurr and her tribe see potential.

For the complete story, please see Nathan Hurst, Tribe takes big gamble on new casino, The Detroit News, July 7, 2009.

FireKeepers Casino Hasn't Settled on Official Opening Date

FireKeepers Casino won’t announce a firm opening date, Marketing Director Mike Facenda said, opting instead to let the results of a series of test openings predict when the much-anticipated Emmett Township facility opens to the public.

Somewhere around the end of July or beginning of August, Facenda said, as many as four “simulation nights” will allow the casino’s roughly 1,500 employees to try their new trade on an exclusive set of invited guests. After that, casino officials and the tribal council of FireKeepers’ owners, the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of Potawatomi, will decide if operations need reworking or if they can open their doors soon thereafter.

For the complete story, please see Mike Facenda, Official: FireKeepers won't announce opening date, The Battle Creek Enquirer, July 1, 2009.

Many Look for Opportunity at FireKeepers Casino

Like clockwork, the cars roll over the stone parking lot just off Interstate 94 a little before 8 a.m. The drivers waste little time and head into the nondescript building for the first of three shifts at dealer school for FireKeepers Casino.

Two-thousand answered the call for 300 available slots as dealer-school students. They were screened and tested before being invited to attend. They get paid nothing and are expected to be there four hours a day for 12 weeks. In the end, they may or may not be offered a job. The casino says that, altogether, more than 28,000 people have applied for 1,500 full- and part-time jobs that will be filled before opening in early August.

"This is a career opportunity," says Lance Allen, director of table games for the casino. "A lot of people just look at it as a job. But it really is more than a job."

Allen should know. He started out as a dealer 28 years ago and has risen to a key management position for the $300 million casino.

At 47, Gary Smith from Parma was considering going back to school to train for a health-field position. He worked for Libra Industries -- an automotive supplier in Jackson -- for the past five years as a shipping and receiving manager. Like many, he gets no health insurance from his part-time job at a convenience store. If Smith makes it through the next 12 weeks, he'll get the benefits that are so important to him.

"Auto is a dying industry," Smith said. "I want something with long-term potential."

For the complete story, please see Chris Wheelock, What's the Deal? Some see second career as casino dealers, West Michigan Business, May 28, 2009.

FireKeepers Casino Expected to Open in August

"So far I'm getting used to these chips."

Steve Feltner is on his first day of what he hopes will be his new career. He was laid off from his exterminator job and jumped at the chance to become a dealer.

"The way I see it, this job's gonna be here for a really long time," said Feltner. "Plus the bare fact that I absolutely love being around people, I just figured this would be a good career to undertake."

All four hours of the first day and part of the second will be all about the chips.

Cutting, stacking, pushing-- they're the foundation of the job.

Mark Agabashian is pretty good with the chips-- he's been a dealer for 10 years-- but was laid off from Motor City Casino in Detroit last month. Dealer school is a formality for him.

"It's like work, but it's not easy," says Agabashian. "The procedures are really precise."

Both Feltner and Agabashian have easy going, friendly personalities that would seem to make them excellent dealers from a gambler's perspective.

"I like this a lot," Agabashian continues. "It's entertaining. The players are amazing."

They are both after the same thing-- a career at the new Firekeepers Casino just off I-94 in between Marshall and Battle Creek. It's 45 miles South of Lansing-- which is 15 miles closer than Soaring Eagle Casino in Mount Pleasant.

Construction is moving along well and doors are now expected to open in early August.

For the complete story, please see Jason Colthorp, New Casino Opening in August, WILX.com, May 18, 2009.

FireKeepers Casino on Pace for Summer 2009

FireKeepers Casino, located on Interstate 94 near Battle Creek, announced today the completion of an attached five-story parking structure offering 2,078 spaces. The garage, visible from the interstate, is attached to the casino, making visiting FireKeepers convenient, safe and hassle free.

FireKeepers Casino will feature Las Vegas-style gaming, including 2,500 slot machines, 90 table games and a live poker room, along with exciting nightlife options and five restaurants.

The Tribal Council of the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi Indians and construction workers signed the last pre-cast concrete panel before it was set into place, completing the parking structure.

“The Tribe is pleased with the progress made by our construction and design team keeping FireKeepers Casino on schedule for a Summer 2009 opening. At this point, 60 percent of the project is complete and we will begin focusing on the interior finishes,” said Laura W. Spurr, Tribal Chair of the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi.

For the complete story, please see Eric Dimoff, FireKeepers Casino completes 2,078 space parking structure, The Battle Creek Enquirer, March 24, 2009.