Traffic concerns point Full House to new location for New Haven casino

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Full House Resorts is eyeing a new site for its proposed casino near Fort Wayne after hearing concerns from New Haven residents about traffic.

The Las Vegas-based casino operator is vying for legislative approval to move its gaming license from southeast Indiana and build a $500 million casino along the Interstate-469 corridor, near State Road 30.

In the first set of plans released to the public, Full House said it had land under option near the intersection of I-469 and State Road 24. But at a public meeting last month, residents of New Haven expressed a number of concerns to Full House executives ranging from an opposition to gambling to concerns about traffic.

In a press release Thursday, Full House representatives announced they’re now proposing to put the casino on a 90-acre site just six minutes south near the intersection of I-469 and SR 30. A spokesman for Full House said the company has agreements in place with the current landowners.

“Full House Resorts is dedicated to being a good neighbor in the communities we operate in,” Full House spokesman Zack Sand said. “We listened carefully to the concerns of residents near our initial site and have secured a more suitable location that meets the community’s comprehensive development plan. This new site provides an ideal location for the New Haven Casino and Resort that respects the interests of all stakeholders.”

Sand said concerns from New Haven residents surrounding traffic is what prompted the company to move away from the SR 24 intersection specifically.

New Haven casino

Full House operates a handful of casinos around the country, including the Rising Star Casino located in Rising Sun, Indiana. The company says its Rising Sun location is consistently its lowest performing property due to increased competition from newer casinos in Cincinnati where gaming has recently been legalized. 

News broke in August that Full House was looking at transferring its license to New Haven, which is next door to Fort Wayne and 90 minutes away from competing casinos. 

In a presentation to New Haven residents, Full House Chief Development Officer Alex Stolyar said the gaming company plans a two-phase buildout with each phase costing around $250 million. The first phase will focus on the main casino, lounge space and restaurants, while the second phase will add a 200-room hotel and additional event space.

At a public meeting in September, Stolyar presented the company’s plan to a room full of around 300 people. Most were against the idea of a casino coming into their town, though a sizeable majority seemed swayed by the economic impacts the gaming industry could bring.

Many residents, including Linda Hathaway, said traffic is often bad getting on and off SR 24 and worried a casino would only exacerbate things.

“There are huge accidents and a lot of fatal accidents already in that area,” Hathaway told Inside INdiana business in September. “And more traffic is just going to make that worse.”

Ultimately, Full House needs approval from the state legislature before it can start work on the casino.