Four Winds Casino in South Bend announces plans to add hotel
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (Inside INdiana Business) — The Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians is planning to build a 23-story hotel at its Four Winds Casino in South Bend.
According to the Pokagon Gaming Authority, which oversees operations of the casino, the tower will offer 317 rooms, including 83 suites. The cost of the project was not disclosed.
The gaming authority said the new building will also offer a convention area, a ballroom, and an outdoor roof-top swimming pool.
“The expansion will bring to life a variety of exciting features and amenities we envisioned during our original planning process,” said Matt Wesaw, tribal council chair and president of the Pokagon Gaming Authority.
Four Winds Casino in South Bend opened in January 2018 with 140,000 square feet of gaming space, including 1,400 electronic machines, but no table games. That could be changing, according to Wesaw.
In August, the Pokagon Band made a formal request to the state of Indiana to negotiate a compact that would allow for table games, like blackjack, roulette and craps.
Governor Eric Holcomb has appointed Sara Gonso Tait, the executive director of the Indiana Gaming Commission, to lead a negotiating team.
The tribe hired Memphis-based HBG Design to be the architect of the project. Construction is expected to take two years to complete, creating 400 construction jobs and 100 permanent jobs with the gaming outlet.
“Not only is this expansion an important milestone for all Pokagon citizens but it also demonstrates our economic commitment to support the South Bend community,” said Wesaw.
The Michigan-based Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians operates four casinos, three in southwest Michigan and one in South Bend.