Ron Turpin is calling for a countywide referendum on whether a proposed casino should be allowed to open in New Haven.
“I think the casino affects more than New Haven,” said Turpin, a Republican running unopposed to become an Allen County commissioner.
“Do the people of Allen County want it? And if they do, that’s fine,” Turpin said Thursday afternoon during a phone interview.
Full House Resorts Inc., the gaming company angling to build a $500 million casino and resort in east Allen County, has to clear at least one hurdle before it could break ground.
State lawmakers would have to approve moving the gaming license from the Rising Star Casino in southeastern Indiana to New Haven. Full House representatives have been meeting with local officials and state lawmakers to make their case, according to Zach Sand, whose Fort Wayne public relations firm represents the Las Vegas-based company.
Getting residents’ approval through a referendum would be a second hurdle.
But voters won’t be allowed to weigh in unless legislators pass a bill that requires a referendum as part of a gaming license transfer, Sand said Thursday through email.
Turpin said he plans to advocate for a referendum in sworn testimony when the legislature holds a hearing on the issue. The 2025 session is scheduled to begin Jan. 8 and end April 29.
Sand sees reason for optimism that the proposed casino will become a reality.
“Our conversations with local and state elected officials have been positive as we communicate the benefits it will bring to northeast Indiana and the state of Indiana as a whole,” he said.
An economic impact study paid for by Full House and released this month shows the proposed casino would generate more than $80 million in annual state and local taxes and spark creation of more than 2,400 new jobs.
The estimated breakdown would be $53.5 million in state taxes, $18.3 million in city taxes and $11.1 million in taxes for other local stakeholders, including Allen County and East Allen County Schools.
The project could create 2,760 construction and construction-related jobs in the first of two phases. The initial phase in New Haven would generate an estimated 2,426 new jobs, including more than 1,200 positions at the casino and entertainment resort, according to the study performed by international consulting firm CBRE.
Full House officials initially proposed building near Interstate 469 and U.S. 24. But after hearing traffic congestion concerns from neighboring landowners and city officials, the company optioned property at the intersection of U.S. 30 and I-469, next to the Flying J Travel Center, Sand said.
New Haven, a city with about 16,000 residents, is already preparing for a major development on Minnich Road. Fields of Grace is envisioned to include outdoor fields, retail, restaurants, entertainment, a Harvester Homecoming Museum and more. Its estimated annual economic impact is $50 million.
0
20
20
