Federal Bureau OKs South Bend Casino

The band is headquartered in Michigan and has a presence in northern Indiana.

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Plans for a more than $400 million casino in South Bend have received a key federal approval. In a letter to the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians, the Bureau of Indian Affairs says the tribe’s proposal "best meets the purpose" for acquiring nearly 166 acres in trust for the Four Winds-branded project.

In addition to the casino, plans call for a 500-room hotel, a tribal services hub and nearly four dozen tribal housing units. The band projects more than 1,400 construction jobs would be created over two years. It says more than 2,000 permanent jobs would be needed for the finished product.

An agreement in April spelled out payments in lieu of taxes that would net the city between $1 million and $2 million per year based on game play revenue at the casino. In July, an environmental impact study was released, allowing planning to move forward.

A news conference featuring tribal and city leadership is slated for Tuesday morning in South Bend.

You can connect to the bureau’s Record of Decision by clicking here. A copy of the letter to tribal leadership is here: