Sault Tribe gets more time to make off-reservation casino deal

Thursday, July 26, 2012

The Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians and the city of Lansing, Michigan, continue to work on an off-reservation casino deal.

The tribe, the city and developers hoped to reach an agreement by August 1. But they mutually extended the deadline to November 1.

The deal will require the transfer of land in downtown Lansing to the tribe. The site will be acquired using funds from the Michigan Indian Land Claims Settlement Act.

A provision in the law requires the federal government place settlement lands in trust. Chairman Aaron Payment, who was recently elected, characterized the acquisition as "mandatory."

Get the Story:
Lansing Casino Land Transfer Delayed (WILX-TV 7/25)
Lansing casino project misses self-imposed deadline (Michigan Radio 7/25)
Lansing casino land sale deadline extended, investor group restructures (MLive 7/25)
Tribe, city of Lansing agree to 90-day extension on casino land deal (The Lansing State Journal 7/26)
Michigan casino ballot proposal group rakes in about 10 times more money than opponents, releases list of investors (MLive 7/26)