Turtle Talk

From WNDU.com:

Tribe breaks ground on headquarters, mum on satellite casinos
$5 million project underway near Dowagiac
Posted: 6:10 PM Apr 13, 2009
Last Updated: 7:44 PM Apr 13, 2009
Reporter: Mark Peterson

In the past the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians built a casino near New Buffalo.

In the future, the band may build two more casinos in Southwest Michigan, but in the present, work started today on the tribe’s five million dollar administrative headquarters near Dowagiac.
The tribal government headquarters is being funded largely by loans and grants from the U.S. government.

Funds for the administration building were provided by a United States Development Authority (USDA) Rural Development loan. Improvements to the roads and parking lot were funded through the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs. The infrastructure work was funded through an Indian Community Development Block Grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Groundbreaking ceremonies were held today on the tribe’s sprawling rural campus near Rogers Lake in Cass County.

The ceremonies included some not-so-quiet reflection on the tribe’s roots as four men pounded on a drum while chanting and singing.

A short time later, the hum of modern machinery laid a new foundation for the future. It began clearing a path for the construction of the new tribal headquarters building.

“This will be where our governmental offices are housed,” said John Miller, Tribal Chair of the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians. “We’ll have our social services housed out of here, accounting, financial services, things like that.”

In all, the sovereign nation has eight departments that will be taking up some space in the new building. “They are an independent nation, and this is their tribal government, this is going to be their capital building, if you will,” said Mayor Don Lyons of Dowagiac.

The new 19,000 square foot building will be big enough to house 50-employees. A construction firm based in South Bend won the bidding to become the project’s general contractor.

“We’re very happy to have this job,” said David Poston with Majority Builders. “First, work is a little slow right now, but we’re happy we’re able to keep all our employees working right now, so we’re very fortunate.”
Poston estimated that the project would provide steady work for about a dozen Majority employees.

Wightman and Associates from Benton Harbor will serve as the engineer and architect for the project.

While the tribe today cemented its plans for the headquarters project, it gave no hint as to what might be built next.

Six months ago the tribe won the right to build two additional satellite casinos under the terms of a renegotiated gaming compact with the State of Michigan.

The tribal chairman would only say that the matter was still under study, and that it would be discussed by the membership. “This study and this communication process will help us determine whether, if we’re going to develop them or not,” said John Miller.

Dowagiac Mayor Don Lyons said he supports the idea of putting a casino in his city, although he has no idea if, or when that might occur. “No, I’ve talked to both the chairman and their operations officers, and neither one of them have a sense of where that might happen or when it might happen, simply that they have the ability to make it happen when it’s appropriate.”