Gary Seeks Job Assurances, $5M from Hard Rock Developer
(Provided Photo/Spectacle Entertainment)
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowNegotiations between the city of Gary and Indianapolis-based Spectacle Entertainment are going right down to the wire over the proposed $400 million Hard Rock Casino Gary. Our partners at The Times of Northwest Indiana report the city is seeking assurances on hiring goals and a direct $5 million cash payment from the gaming company.
The publication says a vote last week to rezone the property was delayed as the two sides work out last minute differences. The publication says the city council must adopt a resolution authorizing the relocation of the Majestic Star casino along the Lake Michigan shoreline to the proposed inland site.
The Indiana Gaming Commission must still approve the move when it meets on Wednesday.
"I anticipate that we’ve come to a substantially final agreement and we are just making sure that we have an understanding between both parties," Gary Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson said.
Freeman-Wilson says the city has established goals in the agreement for local hiring and vendors. The paper says the city has set a goal of 40 percent of Spectacle’s hiring includes minority business enterprises. The paper is reporting the cash-strapped city is also seeking $5 million from Spectacle to help Gary stay afloat.
Spectacle expects the Hard Rock Casino Gary will employ approximately 1,800 workers when the property is fully developed. The company intends to break ground this year and open in December 2020.