MOORHEAD — White Earth Tribe leaders pitched their plan to bring new jobs, lodging and an entertainment venue to the Moorhead area during the Moorhead City Council meeting Monday evening.
Leaders from the White Earth Band of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe brought their proposal for a resort-casino complex on 280 acres of land east of Moorhead to the meeting on Monday, April 28. The tribe
near the intersection of Interstate 94 and Highway 336 late last year.
Mike LaRoque, secretary-treasurer of the White Earth Nation, said he chuckles when he hears rumors about how the property is going to be used. During the
Clay County Commission meeting
last week, tribal leaders unveiled plans for a combination casino, hotel and convention center on the land.
“But I think the sky’s the limit, actually, with this property, and we bought this property for economic development,” LaRoque said.
The White Earth Nation asked the Moorhead City Council for a letter of support to include in its application to designate the parcel as trust land for tribal gaming. That gives the federal government the title to the land, holding it for the benefit of a tribe or tribal members, according to the
Then the White Earth Nation will be able to operate a casino on the site, even though it is off of the White Earth Reservation.
Designating the property as trust land makes it tax exempt. According to Clay County Administrator Stephen Larson, the White Earth Nation property will generate $15,100 in property tax this year. The property accounts for around 0.03% of property tax collected by the county, which totals around $50.6 million.
Council members did not take any actions after the tribe’s presentation Monday.
The proposed casino would have a gaming floor between 90,000-100,000 square feet, with 900-1,200 slot machines and up to a dozen table games. The attached hotel would have between 250-300 rooms and the convention center could span 100,000-120,000 square feet. The complex would also include fast food and fine dining areas and bars.
It is also considering the possibility of a truck stop and convenience center on the land.
The land is currently in Glyndon Township, but is in an area expected to be annexed by the city of Moorhead in the future, in accordance with an
between the cities of Moorhead and Dilworth.
Map by Troy Becker / The Forum
Council members asked about the timeline and process for the property to become trust land. White Earth Nation Land Acquisition Manager Jake Syverson said the process takes 18 to 24 months to complete as multiple federal agencies check off on the action. Just a portion of the total 280 acres of property could be designated as trust land.
Once the application is submitted, the Department of the Interior would notify surrounding local communities, Syverson said, so to be transparent, the tribe is reaching out to communities beforehand.
“We don’t necessarily need a letter of support, but it would be much appreciated,” Syverson said.
Three area residents spoke about the tribe’s proposal during the meeting: two against it and one for it.
Ed Dorsett, a supervisor on the Glyndon Township Board, argued the casino will not provide economic benefits to Moorhead. He questioned if the Shooting Star Casino in Mahnomen has benefited the residents of the town.
“The town itself is suffering, and I don’t think the casino is doing a single thing for the residents of it,” Dorsett said.
Alyssa Goelzer / The Forum
Zenas Baer, a lawyer in Clay County, spoke in support of the tribe. Baer said he represented the White Earth Nation in the 1990s and 2000s, but no longer does. He said he thought some of the criticism of the tribe was unwarranted.
“Don’t be frightened of dealing with the White Earth Band just because they are exercising the sovereignty they were given by Congress and supported by the United States Supreme Court,” Baer said.
Alyssa Goelzer / The Forum
Moorhead City Council members also passed a second reading of a cannabis sales ordinance Monday. The ordinance had one change since it
came before the council for the first time
two weeks earlier.
The ordinance introduces fees and registration standards for businesses selling cannabis products in Moorhead ahead of state cannabis licensing this spring and summer. It also imposes fines and sanctions for businesses operating without registering with the city, or those that violate registration requirements.
When first introduced to the council, the bill limited the hours for both cannabis retail sales and lower-potency hemp-derived THC sales to between the hours of 10 a.m. and 10 p.m., Monday through Sunday. However, the updated ordinance separates the two product types and gives each their own operating hours.
In the updated ordinance, cannabis sales are limited to the hours of 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. each day, but hemp-derived THC products can be sold from 8 a.m. to 2 a.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. Sunday.
Council members unanimously approved the second reading of the ordinance.
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